Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president and MLA Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday said the Congress would continue to raise genuine public concerns in the Legislative Assembly despite being an alliance partner of the National Conference (NC).
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar after a meeting of Congress legislators ahead of the upcoming Assembly session, Karra said being part of the ruling alliance would not prevent the party from raising issues affecting the people.
“We are in alliance with the National Conference, but that does not mean we will not raise public issues. We will take up genuine concerns and ensure they are expedited,” he said.
Karra said the Assembly’s purpose was to raise questions and ensure that issues concerning the people were addressed at the earliest, irrespective of whether they were raised by members of the ruling alliance or the opposition.
“The purpose of the Assembly is that work should be done as soon as possible. For that, everyone raises questions, whether it is from the ruling party or the opposition party,” he said.
Karra said the Congress Legislature Party meeting was held to discuss the upcoming session and finalise the issues that the party intends to raise during the proceedings.
The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is scheduled to begin on September 21. Political parties have been holding separate legislature meetings to finalise their strategies for the session.
Asked about recent differences between the Congress and NC over issues including Vande Mataram and UPI, Karra said the disagreements should be viewed in the broader context of the alliance between the two parties.
“You see it from a very myopic view. We are in an alliance and we are on a principled stand. We took that alliance as a principled stand, keeping in mind the larger picture,” he said.
He maintained that the alliance would not restrict the Congress from raising issues concerning the public or supporting legitimate demands.
“Being in an alliance does not mean that we will not raise people’s issues. Being in an alliance does not mean that we will not talk about people’s legitimate demands. So there is no connection between that and this,” Karra said.
