Srinagar, Oct 27: The Congress will not join the Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir until statehood is restored to the Union Territory, Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra said on Tuesday, reiterating the party’s position after the Cabinet expansion.
“Today was the Cabinet expansion, and those who were chosen took oath,” Karra told reporters, adding that the Congress had made its position clear over the past two years.
“We have been saying for two years that we won’t join the Cabinet. There is no need to repeatedly explain why Congress is not joining the Cabinet,” he said.
The Congress has stayed out of the government over the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Karra said the party would not accept a ministerial position as long as the region continued to be a Union Territory.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone said the government should focus on fulfilling its promises to the people rather than on who secured a ministerial berth and who was left out during the Cabinet expansion.
Speaking after the swearing-in ceremony, Lone, who represents Wagoora-Kreeri, said that although legislators aspired to serve people as ministers, it was not possible to accommodate everyone in the Council of Ministers.
“Who is in the ministry and who is hurt is not important; what is important is that the promises made to people are fulfilled,” he said.
Lone said people had high expectations from the government and called for action on issues affecting their daily lives, including the concerns of daily wagers, unemployment, ration supplies and free electricity.
He also flagged broader concerns, including alleged vote theft, examination paper leaks, restrictions on freedom of speech and the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Lone said addressing these issues required collective efforts and urged the government to prioritise public concerns and democratic rights.
The remarks came after the Cabinet expansion of the Omar Abdullah-led government on Tuesday, with four legislators inducted as ministers.
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