Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Tuesday expressed concern over the alleged disappearance of Mahatma Gandhi’s statues from the Mubarak Mandi heritage complex and Satwari Chowk in Jammu. He stated that the party would soon take up the issue with the government.
Speaking at a party event commemorating India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on his 61st death anniversary, Karra emphasized the need for proper maintenance of all statues of national leaders. He also called for the installation of a Nehru statue in an appropriate location in Jammu to inspire future generations.
Karra highlighted the missing Gandhi statues and also pointed out the “lack of proper care and upkeep” for the statue of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Indira Chowk. He urged immediate action to ensure these statues receive due respect. The Congress leader announced his intention to write to the government to convey the party’s concerns and press for swift attention to the matter.
Describing Nehru as the “architect of modern India,” a “great freedom fighter,” and an “international stalwart,” Karra paid floral tributes. He lamented that despite global admiration for Nehru’s philosophy, “some forces in the country” are reportedly “scared of his ideology” and constantly attempt to diminish his contributions and sacrifices.
Karra asserted that Gandhi, Nehru, and the Congress party had “opposed and resisted the division of the country,” attributing the 1947 partition to “opportunist forces having radical ideology.” He claimed that the “very foundations of the country are under threat today because of the policies of the present regime.”
He urged party workers to educate future generations about the true history of the freedom movement and the post-independence contributions of leaders like Nehru and other stalwarts. Karra also reiterated the Congress party’s demand for the early restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, calling the August 2019 downgrading of the region into a Union Territory “against the spirit of the constitution.”
