NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress ( TMC ) on Thursday strongly backed the demand for full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, declaring it a “legitimate aspiration” of its people and calling for the complete empowerment of the elected government.
A five-member TMC delegation led by Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose met chief minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Wednesday, soon after arriving in the city.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ghose said, “We believe that statehood is a legitimate aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We firmly believe that statehood must be fully restored.”
She added that TMC stood by the principle of federalism and that empowering the local government was an “article of faith” for the party.
“The federal principle is ingrained in our Constitution... we believe that the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir must be the empowered agency to look after the welfare and wellbeing of the people,” she said.
As per PTI, the delegation spent over 90 minutes with Abdullah, discussing critical issues, especially the impact of cross-border shelling on civilians in border regions like Poonch, Rajouri, and Uri. “He told us in detail what the problems are of the people in border villages. More people died in cross-border shelling from Pakistan than in the Pahalgam attack,” Ghose said.
The TMC delegation is set to travel to Poonch on Thursday to meet those affected by Pakistani shelling.
The visit comes amid renewed political focus on Kashmir’s special status and statehood. The ruling National Conference (NC) passed a set of resolutions on Wednesday reaffirming its commitment to the restoration of both.
One resolution demanded the “immediate” restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, as promised by the Centre and echoed by the Supreme Court's Constitution bench.
The NC also strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and the continued cross-border shelling that killed 23 civilians. The party expressed concern over the targeting of Kashmiri youth and journalists and urged the Centre to avoid actions that could further alienate the people.
Meanwhile, the NC’s move to pass these resolutions at its party office, rather than in the assembly, drew criticism from PDP leader Waheed Para. Para said on X, “So, the National Conference, armed with a brute mandate of 50 MLAs, passed a resolution on special status and statehood, not in the J&K Assembly... but in its party office.”
Despite political criticism, Ghose said the Abdullah government had assured the TMC of ongoing efforts to help victims of violence. “He is doing everything possible to give medical help, rebuild schools and colleges, and provide compensation. We also believe that the government of Abdullah must be fully empowered,” she said.
A five-member TMC delegation led by Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose met chief minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on Wednesday, soon after arriving in the city.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ghose said, “We believe that statehood is a legitimate aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We firmly believe that statehood must be fully restored.”
She added that TMC stood by the principle of federalism and that empowering the local government was an “article of faith” for the party.
“The federal principle is ingrained in our Constitution... we believe that the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir must be the empowered agency to look after the welfare and wellbeing of the people,” she said.
As per PTI, the delegation spent over 90 minutes with Abdullah, discussing critical issues, especially the impact of cross-border shelling on civilians in border regions like Poonch, Rajouri, and Uri. “He told us in detail what the problems are of the people in border villages. More people died in cross-border shelling from Pakistan than in the Pahalgam attack,” Ghose said.
The TMC delegation is set to travel to Poonch on Thursday to meet those affected by Pakistani shelling.
The visit comes amid renewed political focus on Kashmir’s special status and statehood. The ruling National Conference (NC) passed a set of resolutions on Wednesday reaffirming its commitment to the restoration of both.
One resolution demanded the “immediate” restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, as promised by the Centre and echoed by the Supreme Court's Constitution bench.
The NC also strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and the continued cross-border shelling that killed 23 civilians. The party expressed concern over the targeting of Kashmiri youth and journalists and urged the Centre to avoid actions that could further alienate the people.
Meanwhile, the NC’s move to pass these resolutions at its party office, rather than in the assembly, drew criticism from PDP leader Waheed Para. Para said on X, “So, the National Conference, armed with a brute mandate of 50 MLAs, passed a resolution on special status and statehood, not in the J&K Assembly... but in its party office.”
Despite political criticism, Ghose said the Abdullah government had assured the TMC of ongoing efforts to help victims of violence. “He is doing everything possible to give medical help, rebuild schools and colleges, and provide compensation. We also believe that the government of Abdullah must be fully empowered,” she said.
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