NC Rajya Sabha MPs Flag Prisoner Hardships, Seek J&K Statehood Restoration
Delegation submits memorandum raising humanitarian, constitutional governance concerns.
National Conference Rajya Sabha members Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, and Gurwinder Singh Oberoi met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The delegation submitted a comprehensive memorandum outlining pressing humanitarian, constitutional, and administrative concerns affecting Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address longstanding issues faced by residents of the Union Territory.
The memorandum placed particular focus on the humanitarian plight of prisoners from Jammu and Kashmir currently detained in facilities across various states outside the region. The MPs underscored that thousands of families are enduring profound emotional and financial hardship due to the inability to regularly visit incarcerated relatives or afford legal representation. They argued that this practice effectively imposes additional punishment on families lacking resources, transforming incarceration into a burden tied to economic constraints rather than established guilt.
Furthermore, the parliamentarians called for a thorough policy review regarding external detentions, advocating the transfer of all such prisoners back to jails within Jammu and Kashmir. They specifically urged the release of detainees against whom no serious charges have been substantiated, asserting that every citizen deserves dignity, justice, and compassion irrespective of origin. This demand aligns with broader calls from regional leaders for humane treatment and adherence to principles of natural justice.
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On the constitutional front, the MPs reiterated the urgent necessity for restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, citing repeated assurances from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, as well as the Supreme Court's December 2023 judgment that recorded the Union's commitment to timely restoration following democratic processes like elections. With an elected government now in place, they contended that further delays are inflicting democratic, administrative, and emotional distress, undermining public trust and constitutional dignity.
Additionally, the representation highlighted the absence of notified Business Rules to govern administrative functions in the Union Territory, despite the formation of an elected administration. The MPs stressed that prompt notification of these rules is essential for ensuring transparent, accountable, and efficient governance, facilitating better coordination between elected representatives and officials while upholding democratic norms and public interest.
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