Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 04
Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Sunday questioned the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, while BJP leader Ravinder Raina said the central government would honour its commitment.
The two leaders were speaking at the fifth Halla Bolle conclave in Srinagar, where participants questioned the political and administrative situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mir, an All India Congress Committee general secretary and member of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, said political parties had contested elections after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance in 2024 that statehood would be restored as soon as possible.
“Two years have passed,” Mir said, arguing that the delay had created uncertainty over governance.
He said the absence of statehood had produced “dual power centres”, with administrative files and proposals moving between institutions and delaying decisions.
Mir called for a single, accountable government in Jammu and Kashmir so responsibility for decisions could be clearly assigned.
He also said the central government was not treating the region on the same footing as other parts of India.
Raina rejected the suggestion that the elected Jammu and Kashmir government lacked sufficient authority.
He said the chief minister had financial and budgetary powers and the ability to take decisions required to run the administration.
Raina reiterated that the BJP supported restoration of statehood and that the Centre would fulfil its commitment.
He also pointed to what he described as a major improvement in the security situation since 2019, saying people could travel more freely and remain outside late at night without the restrictions that were previously common.
Some participants challenged Raina’s assessment of the security situation and questioned whether conditions had improved to the extent he claimed.
Mir, meanwhile, cited Ladakh as an example of political groups setting aside differences to pursue common interests.
