Cong dares BJP: Hold polls in J&K if Aug 5 decision democratic, situation normal

‘Want PoK back; people humiliated by State’s division’

JAMMU: Taking a jibe at the BJP, the Congress in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir, Ambika Soni on Wednesday dared the ruling party at Centre to hold elections in the newly carved union territory if it felt the decision taken by it were democratic and the situation was normal.
She, however, asserted that entire Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and "we would like" the government to take back the region occupied by Pakistan.
Soni also targeted the BJP government over the division of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories, and said the people, especially the youth, felt "humiliated" by the decision.
Soni, All India Congress Committee general secretary, was in Jammu to consult the state party leadership on the nationwide agitation against the "economic crisis" and said the demand for the restoration of the statehood would be the bottom line for the protests in the Jammu region.
In a reference to the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, she asked, "How many promises have been fulfilled after the decisions was taken three months ago."
Soni, who was accompanied by senior party leaders, including its J&K president G A Mir, said people were under detention and based on her personal experience after landing here on Tuesday, she didn't see the Internet functioning.
"If the situation is normal, how long will you keep the former chief ministers detained? If you have taken a democratic decision, why you don't take the opinion of people by holding elections?," she said, adding that whatever happened, happened in an "undemocratic way and in a haste".
"It was done after lending ear to misconceptions (created about Jammu and Kashmir)," she said.
Asked whether she supported elections before the restoration of the statehood, the Congress leader said, "My willingness does not matter."
"We had a meeting of senior party colleagues and activists this morning and we are meeting again later in the afternoon. What I have learnt is that people are very disturbed as it has happened for the first time in the history of our country that a state was bifurcated into UTs," she said.
Soni said she was informed that people were "feeling humiliated" and "very concerned" about their future as the decisions with regard to J-K were taken in an "undemocratic way without taking them into confidence".
Soni said people wanted that the statehood be restored.
Referring to the economic situation in the country, she said it had gone from "bad to worse" and the opposition had launched an agitation from November 5 to protest "growing unemployment, deteriorating economic situation and farmer distress".
The congress leader said protests would be held on November 11 at the district level and November 16 in Jammu.
"The protests here will also focus on the decisions taken by the BJP in the past 90 days, which turned the state upside down. People, especially the youth, are feeling humiliated by the dismembering of the state and the decision is not acceptable to them," she said.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters here, the Congress general secretary said the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, in its entirety, "is an integral part of India.... If they are able to take back PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), what will be better than this".
"...taking it back is a pending task and we would like that they take it back because that is our part," she added.
She said the state "was dismembered and turned into a Union Territory without consulting the people of the state or anyone in the country".
Asked about the political campaign of the BJP focusing on Pakistan and nationalism, the Congress leader said, "We, the people of India, get sentimental when it comes to the nation but how long they will get away with it. Do not test our nationalism because we are second to none in being nationalist. We all have nationalist sentiment in us and nobody needs to give any proof for that to anyone."
On a question about reports that Rahul Gandhi will take over as the president of the party again, she said, "Who becomes the president and at what time, will be decided by the Congress men and women and will be known to everyone. Sonia Gandhi is presently the party president and the party has very good results both in Haryana and Maharashtra which have enthused Congress workers all over the country."