Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 22: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed their commitment to restoring statehood to Jammu & Kashmir during a meeting with party leaders and workers from the region at Indira Bhawan in Delhi on Tuesday.

The interaction coincided with a massive protest led by the J&K Congress at Jantar Mantar, where over 500 party workers rallied for the reinstatement of democratic governance. Slogans such as “Statehood Wapas Karo” and “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq” echoed as participants demanded the end of bureaucratic rule and full constitutional rights.

The party also reiterated its support for including Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule and vowed to raise both issues in Parliament during the Monsoon Session.

Led by JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra, CLP leader G.A. Mir, and AICC in-charge Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain, the demonstration condemned what the Congress called the BJP’s “unconstitutional suppression of democratic rights” in the region.

AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, addressing the crowd, pointed to recent terror attacks in Pahalgam and questioned the effectiveness of unelected administrators. “Jammu & Kashmir deserves its dignity, its Assembly, and its voice,” he said.

The Delhi protest follows recent similar demonstrations in Jammu and Srinagar, where Congress workers braved police crackdowns and detentions to press for early elections and restoration of democratic norms.