Chandigarh/Jammu and Kashmir, February 14
Jammu and Kashmir Police have taken into custody In-Charge Secretary and MLA Pargat Singh during a peaceful, constitutionally protected demonstration at Jammu police lines as part of the “Save MGNREGA” campaign. Accepting his detention alongside fellow Congress leaders and workers, Pargat Singh declared that no incarceration can muzzle democratic voices. The Congress remains steadfastly committed to securing full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, protecting MGNREGA, and upholding the rights and honor of its people.
Pargat explained that the protest at Jammu police lines formed part of the nationwide “Save MGNREGA” struggle. Today, Congress leaders and workers marched toward Raj Bhavan under banners proclaiming “Save MGNREGA” and “Our State, Our Rights,” articulating legitimate democratic demands. Despite its unwavering non-violence, many participants, including himself, were detained at Jewel Chowk—a blatant assault on democracy. If the clamor of the people is to be stifled, the Congress will not retreat.
The former Education Minister recalled that former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launched MGNREGA, a transformative scheme guaranteeing 100 days of employment to millions of impoverished and vulnerable citizens across India. Yet the BJP-led Central Government has undermined it by slashing states’ shares in funding—from 90 per cent previously to a mere 60 per cent burdening states with 40 per cent of costs—and rechristening the program, imperiling livelihoods for countless laborers. “This shift imposes crores in additional expenditure on states, eroding the scheme’s efficacy. The Congress is spearheading a countrywide movement against these pernicious alterations”, he added.
