Srinagar: The Indian National Congress chapter in occupied Jammu and Kashmir staged a protest rally in Jammu to highlight the prolonged delay in the restoration of statehood to the occupied territory.

According to Beyond the Time News, the rally, led by senior Congress leaders and party workers, concluded with the submission of a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Jammu, demanding the immediate fulfillment of long-pending political and developmental commitments made to the people of the Union Territory.

Addressing the protesters, the President of the Indian National Congress chapter in occupied Jammu and Kashmir said the authorities repeatedly claim that peace has returned to IIOJK. He questioned that if the situation is truly normal, there is no justification for denying full statehood to the territory even after six years.

Tariq Karra said the promise to restore statehood was made on the floor of Parliament but remains unfulfilled. He warned that everything has a limit and stressed that the demand for statehood is now resonating from every household across occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

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Senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir echoed similar views, stating that despite repeated assurances, the people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be deprived of their democratic rights.

The Congress leaders warned that the party would intensify its agitation if the authorities continue to ignore the genuine demands of the people, particularly the restoration of full statehood.