On Wednesday, Congress Leader Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the government to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and hold assembly elections. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam said that there was no development taking place in J&K while tourism and education were hit hard following the revocation of the special status under Article 370 and the bifurcation of erstwhile into two Union territories.
“I never heard (former PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee or any BJP leader (before the Modi government) who ever demanded that Jammu and Kashmir should be split into two. There was a demand for UT in only one district of Ladakh (Leh), not Kargil,” Azad said in the Rajya Sabha.
He said law and order was 100 times better when Jammu and Kashmir was a state. “Tourists don't visit the place much now, and the ones that do frequent just the luxury hotels, and rarely interact with locals,” he said.
“As for education, internet connectivity is often cut off, and even when available, it is 2G. In the age of 4G, how can we do anything with 2G? This is affecting the education of students,” the Congress veteran stressed.
He also asserted that people in Ladakh and Jammu were not happy about the fact that anyone can buy their land or get jobs. Last year, the Centre notified new land rules in J&K, allowing any Indian citizen to purchase non-agricultural land in the Union territory. The rules have also omitted any need for being a domicile or having a permanent resident certificate for the purchase of land in J&K.
On the farmers' issue, He requested the government to take back the three farm laws while demanding strict action against those involved in the Red Fort incident in Delhi.
“Farmers are ours, not of the Congress, but of you and all of us. We are with you when it comes to fighting against China and Pakistan. But why fight the farmers,” he said.
“We condemn whatever happened at Red Fort on January 26. Those involved should be given strict punishment. But those who are innocent, should not be implicated with false cases,” he said.
