Will defeat communal, divisive forces creating discord atmosphere: Cong J-K chief

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president G A Mir Monday vowed to defeat the communal and divisive forces" in the state who were creating an "atmosphere of discord".

"Congress will defeat the designs of communal and divisive forces creating an atmosphere of discord and will not allow them to play with the emotions of people for political gains," Mir said at the party headquarters here.

Addressing the newly-elected councillors of Jammu at the function, Mir said the Congress was a vibrant force in the three regions of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh and the people were viewing the policies and programmes of the party in a positive light.

"My perception and understanding of the situation are that Congress will emerge as the largest party in the next assembly elections," he said.

"The Congress is the only secular and unifying force and it will continue to safeguard the secular fabric of the country and the state," he added.

Mir said his party always stood for equal development of all the regions of the state as well as the strengthening of democratic institutions for devolution of power to the people for their better participation in governance.

"Congress struggled for the implementation of the provision of 73rd and 74th amendments in the state to fully empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and finally it succeeded," he said.

"It is the result of the amended law that women have got 33 per cent reservation in all tiers of PRIs besides Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes," he said.