Northeast, August 24 — Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has demanded a clarification from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the manifesto recently released by the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Singh accused the Congress Party of attempting to destabilize India’s unity by aligning with the JKNC, a party that has historically championed regional autonomy.
In a media address, Singh posed a series of pointed questions to Gandhi, questioning whether the Congress supports the JKNC’s controversial promises, including the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A, which granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir before their abrogation in 2019. Singh warned that reinstating these articles would revert the region to a period of unrest and terrorism.
Singh also criticized the Congress for allegedly promoting separatism by engaging in talks with Pakistan rather than focusing on the development of Kashmir’s youth. He questioned whether the Congress endorses the JKNC’s proposal to restart trade across the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, which Singh believes could foster terrorism.
Further, the Chief Minister questioned if the Congress backs reinstating government jobs to relatives of individuals involved in terrorism and stone-pelting, accusing the party of potentially reviving extremism. He also took issue with what he described as the Congress’s anti-reservation stance, asking if the party intends to end quotas for marginalized communities like Dalits, Gujjars, Bakarwals, and Pahadi people.
Singh raised concerns about the Congress’s alleged support for renaming significant landmarks in Jammu and Kashmir, such as changing ‘Shankaracharya Hill’ to ‘Takht-e-Suleiman’ and ‘Hari Hill’ to ‘Koh-e-Maran.’ He concluded by accusing the Congress of endorsing the JKNC’s divisive politics, which he claims could lead to discrimination between Jammu and the Valley and grant undue autonomy to Kashmir.
The Congress Party has yet to respond to Singh’s allegations and demands for clarification.
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