New Delhi, July 17 (IANS). Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to PM Narendra Modi on the delimitation bill. Congress MP Tariq Anwar has expressed his reaction on this. Besides, counterattacks have been made on many other issues like restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress MP Tariq Anwar appreciated the Supreme Court’s comments on the West Bengal SIR case. He said, “The decision of the Supreme Court is welcome because it has, in a way, rejected the argument of the Election Commission during the SIR process. The Court has made it clear that the Election Commission does not have the power to decide citizenship. This is the truth and the constitutional framework also says the same.”
On the demand for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Congress MP Tariq Anwar says, “As far as full statehood is concerned, when Article 370 was removed and full statehood was taken away from Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the entire government had promised that full statehood would be restored soon. They had assured that Jammu and Kashmir would get its full statehood back.”
Questioning the intentions of the government, he said that so many years have passed, but this issue has not been considered yet. Efforts are being made to snatch away the rights of the people of Kashmir.
On Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the Delimitation Bill, Congress MP Tariq Anwar says, “No decision has been taken yet, but Kharge ji has said that this is a very serious issue and is related to the entire electoral system of the country. In such a situation, if the government wants to bring this bill, then it should first hold talks with the opposition, opposition leaders and political parties.”
He said that as per the democratic way, when a major amendment is made or a bill is introduced, the government takes the opposition into confidence. This tradition was maintained during the Congress rule, but ever since the Modi government came, this tradition is being continuously violated.
Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, “Our best effort will be to ensure that the Indi alliance remains intact. We hope that all the parties associated with us will at least stand with us on this issue and we will all oppose it together. This attitude of the government is undemocratic.”
He said that we all have seen the way delimitation was done in Assam and Kashmir. Through the Delimitation Bill, the Central Government wants to have complete control over the coming 20 years.
Regarding the Kolkata Airport Mosque controversy, the Congress leader said that India is a country of faith. Every citizen of India belongs to some religion or the other. If the mosque has to be removed and shifted to some other place then that community should be taken into confidence.
–IANS
ASH/VC