JAMMU,Aug 01: Congress leader & Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and J&K Congress President GA Mir stand by Congress leader and former MP from PDP, Tariq Karra.
They both issues a press statement and said “In the last three years, it has become clear that the BJP Government at the Centre desperately wishes to wipe out all bastions of opposition to their uniquely poor brand of governance and administrative incompetence.
The most often used tool in this endeavour is their pernicious and sinister method of attacking any voices that expose their hollow agenda. Having lodged false criminal cases against such leaders as Shri Virbhadra Singh, Shri P. Chidambaram, Shri Ashok Gehlot, Shri Motilal Vora, Shri Sachin Pilot, Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Shri Ashok Chavan and others, they have now turned their attention to one of the strongest voices speaking out against their maladministration in Kashmir – former Member of Parliament from Srinagar & Congress Leader, Shri Tariq Hameed Karra.”
The statement further reads “One of the founding members of PDP in July 1999, Shri Karra has sought to resolve the problems of Kashmir within the framework of Indian Constitution. In the 2014 elections, Shri Karra, who belongs to a prominent political family and whose uncle was Chief Minister of the State (Shri G.M. Sadiq), was elected by a significant margin as the Member of Parliament from Srinagar.
However in October of 2014 when the PDP allied with the BJP, Shri Karra was the first one to raise his voice against the rank political opportunism and betrayal of public mandate. He even withdrew from the negotiating committee, which was speaking to the BJP at the time. On declaration of the alliance, Shri Karra emerged as the most vocal critic of the current BJP-PDP Government, which has pushed the entire J&K in a cycle of mal-governance and violence on account of abject incompetence, bitter differences and malicious intent. The events of 2015-2016 would bear out his wisdom with the State witnessing a degree of violence and long curfews spreading across months - a deterioration of affairs not seen in the last 15 years.
Following Shri Mufti's demise in January, 2016; Shri Karra resigned from his seat in September, 2016 on principle and dedicated himself to exposing the insular and narrow minded agenda of the BJP-PDP Government.”
The statement further adds “ In retaliation for his outspoken criticism and expose of the BJP-PDP misgovernance in the State, the Government has decided to seize, illegally and without authority, a property that has been legally recognised as his ancestral land since 1950. This attempt at discrediting and harassing rivals instead of facing them in the public domain is now a well-known tactic of the BJP-PDP.
What makes this case particularly shocking is how the State Government has colluded with forgers and land grabbers to usurp the land. The State Government has also announced its intention to divert the other half of the land for 'State purposes'. Despite multiple protections given by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP-PDP State Government seems intent to persecute Shri Karra while providing State support through the means of the police machinery to those illegally occupying the land.
These actions of the State Government are a poor reflection on the bankrupt political stratagems of the BJP. The BJP has managed to infect its alliance partner, PDP with the same vicious and unscrupulous brand of politics it has used to seek power in other States.
However Tariq Hameed Karra has worked tirelessly and fearlessly for the good of the people of Jammu & Kashmir for several decades and neither he nor the Congress Party will be silenced by the illegal actions of a State Government hell bent upon false persecution. Congress Party shall continue to expose the divisive agenda, failure of governance and mal-administration of the BJP-PDP Government”
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