Latest news with #SixthSchedule
India.com
a day ago
- Politics
- India.com
Kharge And Rahul Assure Full Support For Restoration Of Statehood To J&K
Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi told the J&K Congress leaders and workers that they completely support the restoration of statehood to J&K. J&K Congress said on X, 'Congress President Mr @kharge ji and Leader of Opposition Mr @RahulGandhi ji interact with JK Congress leaders and workers at Indira Bhawan today.' The Congress leadership has once again reiterated its demand for statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and for including Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule, stating that both issues will be raised in both Houses of Parliament during the Monsoon Session. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi extended their full support to the J&K Congress leaders and workers who had come to the national capital. The J&K Congress leaders and workers today staged a massive protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, led by JKPCC President, Tariq Hameed Karra, CLP Leader G.A. Mir, and AICC General Secretary in-charge of J&K and Ladakh Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain. The protest called for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu & Kashmir and strongly condemned the BJP's undemocratic, authoritarian, and unconstitutional suppression of democratic rights in the region. A Congress spokesman said, A Congress spokesperson said, 'Over 500 Congress workers and leaders from across Jammu & Kashmir travelled to Delhi by buses, raising slogans such as 'Delhi Chalo' and 'Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq.' Braving long journeys and security restrictions, they came to amplify the voice of the people of the erstwhile state. Carrying placards that read 'Loktantra Bahal Karo', 'Statehood Wapas Karo', and 'Jammu Kashmir Ke Saath Nyaay Karo', the protest featured passionate speeches, patriotic slogans, and a united call to end bureaucratic rule and restore democracy. Addressing the protest at Jantar Mantar, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal said, 'When the Lt. Governor himself admits to grave security lapses in the Pahalgam terror attack, it vindicates our stand. 'Unelected, unaccountable administrators cannot replace a democratically elected government. Jammu & Kashmir deserves its dignity, its Assembly, and its voice. The Congress Party will not rest until democracy is fully restored.' This Delhi protest is part of the Congress party's sustained movement and follows two major demonstrations previously held in Jammu and Srinagar. On Sunday, the Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) organised a major protest at the city centre in Jammu, where PCC president Tariq Hameed Karra and CLP Leader G.A. Mir were detained by police while peacefully demanding statehood, democratic elections, and restoration of constitutional rights. Despite the crackdown, hundreds of Congress workers continued their protest undeterred, reflecting the growing public anger against the BJP's repressive policies. 'On Saturday, the protest was held at the Congress headquarters in Srinagar, where senior leaders addressed a large gathering of grassroots workers who were cordoned off inside the premises by the state machinery,' the Congress spokesperson added.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress protests at Jantar Mantar for immediate restoration of Statehood to J&K
Amid the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Congress on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) held a demonstration in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar area to press for the restoration of Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, and the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule. The issue would be raised in both Houses of Parliament during the Monsoon Session, the party stated. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi extended their full support to the 500 J&K Congress leaders and workers who travelled by buses to the national capital. 'When the Lieutenant Governor himself admits to grave security lapses in the Pahalgam terror attack, it vindicates our stand. Unelected, unaccountable administrators cannot replace a democratically elected government. Jammu & Kashmir deserves its dignity, its Assembly, and its voice,' Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said, addressing the meeting at Jantar Mantar. Mr. Kharge and Mr. Gandhi later met the leaders and workers from J&K at Indira Bhavan, the party's headquarters. 'The people of Jammu & Kashmir deserve full Statehood. It is their Constitutional right. We have written to the PM demanding the same. Modi Govt has a consistent policy of betrayal for Jammu & Kashmir,' Mr. Kharge said in a post on social media platform X. 'The Pahalgam terror attack is a grim reminder of intelligence failure. We stand strongly with the people of J&K, demanding adequate compensation and protection for them, especially those families who have lost their loved ones in cross-border shelling. They are martyrs,' Mr. Kharge said. The Congress is fully committed to protect the rights of the people of J&K, Mr. Gandhi said in a Facebook post.
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Ready to discuss Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor in Parliament, says Centre
The Centre is ready to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in Parliament as long as 'certain rules' and conventions are followed, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday. The parliamentary affairs minister's comment came after an all-party meeting convened by the Union government ahead of the Monsoon Session. The Opposition has demanded discussions on a range of matters. This includes the terror attack in Pahalgam, United States President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and the special intensive revision of voter rolls being conducted in Bihar. Rijiju said that the government had 'patiently' heard suggestions from Opposition leaders and members of the ruling coalition during the all-party meeting. 'The government will never shy away from discussion unless it is prevented under certain rules or certain provisions,' he said. The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on Monday and conclude on August 21. Held All Party Meeting ahead of the Monsoon Session 2025. The govt is looking forward to a session marked by dialogue, cooperation and very meaningful outcomes. #Parliament — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 20, 2025 Opposition seeks Modi's response Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, told reporters after the meeting that his party had sought a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House on Trump's claim, the security 'lapses' that led to the Pahalgam attack and the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, The New Indian Express reported. 'It is the moral responsibility of the PM to answer on these issues,' PTI quoted him as saying. Reiterating the demand on social media, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the Opposition had also flagged the situation in Manipur, the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and the demand for Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, among others. The Ladakhi leadership has sought a constitutional guarantee under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which guarantees protections over land and a nominal autonomy for the country's tribal areas. आज मोदी सरकार द्वारा बुलाई गई सर्वदलीय बैठक में मेरे साथी, लोकसभा में कांग्रेस संसदीय दल के उपनेता @GauravGogoiAsm ने भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस की ओर से संसद में चर्चा के लिए निम्नलिखित मुद्दों पर विस्तृत चर्चा की मांग रखी- 1. पहलगाम, ऑपरेशन सिंदूर, जम्मू-कश्मीर के उपराज्यपाल,… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 20, 2025 Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas urged Modi to speak on the Pahalgam attack and Trump's remarks on India-Pakistan ceasefire, The New Indian Express reported. Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also raised Trump's claims and what he described as the 'poll scam' linked to the Bihar electoral roll revision, the newspaper reported. Responding to the demand for Modi to address Parliament, Rijiju said on Sunday: 'I want to make it clear the prime minister remains in Parliament except during foreign travel…The prime minister always remains in Parliament, but the prime minister does not remain in the House all the time.' He added that in Parliament, the Cabinet functions through collective responsibility.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kavinder Gupta assumes office of Ladakh lieutenant governor
Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the new lieutenant governor (LG) of Ladakh on Friday, four days after President Droupadi Murmu appointed him to the post. BJP leader Kavinder Gupta takes charge as lieutenant governor of Union territory of Ladakh, at Raj Niwas in Leh on Friday. (ANI) Soon after the oath ceremony, Gupta expressed his desire to rebuild Ladakh and make it a global tourism destination. 'I have been appointed here to the post of lieutenant governor. I want to assure the people of Ladakh that rising above religion, caste, and party politics, we will all work together to rebuild a new Ladakh,' Gupta told reporters soon after taking over as lieutenant governor. He further said, 'There is still a lot that needs to be done. There is no doubt that Ladakh faced a lot of discrimination in the past.' Gupta was administered the oath of office in Leh by the chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high court, Justice Arun Palli, at a ceremony held at Ladakh Raj Niwas in Leh, officials said. Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal read the official warrant of appointment. Gupta, 66, who started off as worker of Rashtriya Swayamasevak Sangh, is the third LG of Ladakh, succeeding Brigadier BD Mishra, who assumed the role in February 2024. He follows R K Mathur, Ladakh's first LG after Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized in 2019. A veteran BJP leader from Jammu's Janipur, Gupta has held several key posts in the past, both in the government and within his party. He was the as speaker of the J&K legislative assembly and also served as mayor of Jammu for three consecutive terms. He also led the BJP's youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), for two terms and spent 13 months in jail during the emergency as an RSS worker. Gupta was first elected as MLA from Gandhi Nagar assembly constituency in 2014, defeating Congress leader Raman Bhalla. Gupta's appointment comes at a time when the region was riled in a protracted agitation demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule. 'We want to take Ladakh to a level where it is recognised globally as a top tourism destination—just like other places in the world known for tourism,' he said. Soon after President announced Gupta's name for the coveted post on Monday, the latter had expressed gratitude to the President Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and the party leadership for reposing their faith in him. 'This is a big responsibility entrusted upon me. I will serve the people of Ladakh and try to come up to their expectations,' he told the media. 'Ladakh was part of Jammu and Kashmir but there were several challenges that came up after it became a UT,' he had said. Recalling his earlier days, Gupta said that he had no political background. 'My father was an employee. I remained a student leader and worked for the youth,' he said. 3 time Jammu mayor, Gupta, joined RSS when he was 13 years old Gupta, born on December 2, 1959, joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at age of 13. He is a graduate and has three children. He served three consecutive terms as mayor from 2005 to 2010. After which he served as an MLA, assembly speaker and former deputy chief minister of J&K. In Punjab also he served as state secretary of ABVP for three years. His father, an employee in the postal and telegraph department, was posted at various places, including Gurdaspur and later Srinagar. A native of Smailpur village in Samba district, Kavinder Gupta officially joined the BJP in 1988. In the 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections, Gupta was initially given the BJP mandate from the Jammu West assembly segment, but the party changed its candidates at the last minute. In the 2014 assembly polls, he was shifted to the Gandhi Nagar assembly segment in Jammu city—then considered a Congress stronghold—where he defeated senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla. Eom.....
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Congress urges PM Modi to restore Jammu and Kashmir statehood
The Congress on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the demand being made by the residents of the Union Territory was legitimate and 'firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights'. In a joint letter to the prime minister, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Union government to introduce a legislation in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The Monsoon Session will begin on July 21 and end on August 12. The residents of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of statehood for the past five years, the Congress leaders said in their letter. 'It is important to recognise that while there have been instances of Union Territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of Jammu and Kashmir is without precedent in independent India,' they said. 'This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory following its bifurcation.' In August 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government had abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to the erstwhile state. It also bifurcated the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the 2019 order abrogating Article 370 and ordered the Union government to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. In their letter, Gandhi and Kharge referred to statements made by the prime minister on May 19, 2024, and September 19, 2024, reiterating the Union government's commitment to restoring statehood. The letter noted that the Union government had made similar assurances to the Supreme Court in the matter. "We urge upon the Government to bring forward a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, we request that the Government bring forward legislation to include the Union Territory of… — Congress (@INCIndia) July 16, 2025 The Congress leaders also requested the Union government to bring a legislation to implement provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in Ladakh. The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (Administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas) of the Constitution guarantees protections for land and a nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal areas. In Ladakh, more than 97% of the population belong to Scheduled Tribes while Kargil is a Muslim-majority region in the Union Territory. The inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule would allow for the creation of autonomous development councils to govern land, public health and agriculture. Ten such councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, the only states where the Sixth Schedule has been implemented. Civil society groups have been demanding the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule. The Congress leaders said in their letter that the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule would be a 'significant step towards addressing the cultural, developmental and political aspirations' of the people while 'safeguarding their rights, land and identity'. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the Congress' letter was a 'good move'. The Congress and Abdullah's National Conference are allies. 'We have been waiting for the Opposition to raise our voice in Parliament', The Hindu quoted him as saying. 'I am thankful to Rahul ji and Kharge ji for raising the issue with the Centre,' he was quoted as saying. 'We are not demanding something that was not promised to us. Inside Parliament and outside it, we were promised statehood. The SC also suggested 'at the earliest'.' In November, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution calling for the restoration of the special status that the erstwhile state had under Article 370. Through the resolution, the Assembly had sought to reaffirm the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees that 'safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people' of Jammu and Kashmir and 'expresses concern over their unilateral removal'. In January, Abdullah said that he wanted to give the Centre the 'first opportunity' to restore the Union Territory's statehood before seeking legal recourse.
