SRINAGAR, Sep 23 (PTI) – Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary addressed the pressing concerns surrounding his administration during a press briefing in Ganderbal district on Tuesday. Choudhary stated that despite facing numerous challenges, the government remains committed to serving the people with its limited powers.
“There are some people who want us to resign. But we are not among those who run away. We are workers of Sher-e-Kashmir, and we will struggle and fight for the rights of the people. We will not show our backs,” Choudhary firmly stated, responding to mounting criticism regarding the government’s performance.
In addressing speculation about the fulfillment of election promises, Choudhary highlighted the constraints under which the current Union Territory government operates. “You will have to understand that we do not have a state government. The gift we got from the PDP in the past, the special status and statehood, we lost because of the PDP. This has resulted in a UT government with limited resources and powers,” he explained.
The Deputy Chief Minister pointed out that despite the dual governance structure, where an elected government co-exists with an appointed administration, the National Conference (NC) government is actively working to tackle pressing issues. He expressed confidence that all promises made by NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will eventually be fulfilled.
“We are in the midst of a struggle. We have been given a mandate for five years, not 10 months, to fulfill our election promises. After this term, then you can ask us about which promises we fulfilled and which we did not,” he remarked, emphasizing the need for patience and perseverance.
When questioned about whether the subject of statehood and the restoration of Article 35A would be addressed in the upcoming assembly session, the deputy chief minister indicated that these topics were indeed a part of recent cabinet discussions. “We discussed this in the cabinet meeting today. We have reiterated our stand on statehood. Leave aside statehood—your questions are very legitimate. However, you must consider the circumstances we find ourselves in,” he stated.
Moreover, Choudhary criticized the previous BJP-PDP coalition government for neglecting development issues in the region during their tenure from 2015 to 2018. He rebutted claims of significant progress made by the previous government by highlighting persistent infrastructural problems. “The PDP and the BJP boast about their accomplishments in Jammu and Kashmir over the past 11 years. They should be asked if they have improved roads and connectivity sufficiently. Why then, are we still stuck in traffic jams? We refuse to remain idle while the PDP and BJP or the LG administration did not deliver on their promises,” he added, reiterating the need for urgent action.
