Jammu and Kashmir Congress is divided over raising the demand for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35-A.

On the third anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, Congress organized rallies across Jammu and Kashmir but speeches of almost all leaders were focused only on price rise and alleged misuse of central agencies.

In Kashmir Valley, Congress Working Committee member and ex-minister Tariq Hamid Karra raised the demand for the restoration of articles 370 and 35-A but other leaders avoided to touch this issue.

A group of Congress workers led by former minister Tariq Hamid Karra and Taj Mohiuddin also staged a protest against the abrogation of Article 370 and demanded its restoration.

The Congress workers, who had assembled inside the party office on Maulana Azad Road here, were not allowed to come out on the roads by police personnel posted at the gates.

Tariq Hamid Karra is one of the founder members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but he opposed the party's alliance with BJP.

Azad-Mir
Congress office

On September 15, 2016, Karra had resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Lok Sabha.

"I was feeling suffocated by the alliance and new avatar adorned by the PDP. My conscience cannot take it anymore. As a mark of protest against sell-out to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), I am disassociating myself from the primary membership of the party as well as Parliament,", Karra said at that time.

"Seeds of deceit, discontent, and betrayal got sown in the hearts and minds of the people that very day when the PDP got into an alliance with the BJP and formed the government", he said.
Later on February 19, 2017, Karra joined Congress.

Congress protest
Congress office

Incumbent J&K Congress chief avoids touching Art 370 issue

The incumbent J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, while addressing a protest rally at Jammu on August 5, avoided touching on the issue of Article 370.

His speech was focused only on price rise and misuse of central agencies by the Union Government to muzzle the voice of opposition parties.

"Why BJP government is running away from the failure to control prices and rising unemployment by trying to divert and rouse religious emotions linking the fight against inflation and unemployment to Ram Mandir", Congress leader said.

Although protests were organized throughout Jammu and Kashmir on the third anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, Congress leaders in Jammu avoided touching on the demand of restoring this article.

Restoration of 370 is impossible; Cong appears to be reconciled

The principal opposition party of the country, Congress appeared to have reconciled with the fact that Article 370 was not going to be restored in the erstwhile state of J&K as the party has been skipping this demand.

Important to mention here that within months after the abrogation of Article 370, a working committee meeting of Congress was held at Jammu in which important resolutions were passed but there was no mention of Article 370 in any of the resolutions.

Sources said that the majority of Congress leaders are of the view that instead of demanding restoration of article 370 the party should rather raise the demand for statehood and job and land rights for natives of J&K.

Sources said that there is unanimity among senior leaders that restoration of Article 370 demand is not going to be fulfilled so it is better to avoid this issue.

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