Ghulam Nabi Azad Slams Modi Govt For 'Downgrading' J&K To UT, Says It's Like Demoting CM To MLA

Ghulam Nabi Azad also pointed out that it was not feasible to conduct polls in Jammu & Kashmir during the next four months of winter.

Kulgam: Hitting out at the Modi government, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad who is also a part of the reformist G-23 group, on Saturday said that stripping the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir was like demoting a Chief Minister to the post of an MLA.

"Usually, UTs are upgraded to state. But in our case, state was downgraded to UT. It's like demoting DGP to post of thanedaar, CM to MLA, and chief secretary to Patwari. No wise man can do this," news agency ANI quoted Azad as saying during an event in Kashmir's Kulgam district.

During the event, Azad also pointed out that it was not feasible to conduct polls in Jammu & Kashmir during the next four months of winter.

The next four months are not feasible for elections and even if they (Centre) wanted, we would have said no, the veteran politician said adding that Opposition leaders in the all-party meet (called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June) said that the statehood be restored first and then the delimitation be taken up.

"But, the government did not accept that. So, they should conclude the delimitation process till February and once the winter gets over, conduct the elections in April," he told reporters.

Azad also said that priority was not who becomes the chief minister but how to restore the August 4, 2019 position in Jammu & Kashmir.

"The priority is not about the chief minister, it is not the issue. The priority is how to restore the August 4, 2019 position... which will happen by restoring the statehood and then having the assembly elections," he said.

Azad also stressed that there is no fight on statehood in the valley as Hindu brothers in Jammu, Sikhs, Muslims in Kashmir and even Pandits want statehood.

"No one should presume that only Kashmiris want the statehood, I have said it continuously and even in the all-party meet that even BJP leaders want statehood, he said.

There is militancy in three districts of Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama, he said adding that there is a need to create an atmosphere in the militancy-infested areas as people in such areas were worried and have become disappointed.