SRINAGAR, July 31, 2025: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Karra on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, calling it a failure in light of US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian imports and penalty on oil imports from Russia, effective August 1.
“This 25% tax reflects the failure of our foreign policy. All the countries the Prime Minister hugged during his visits have now turned their backs. This is the result of Modi’s ‘jhappi’ diplomacy,” Karra told reporters after a party meeting held post the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march demanding restoration of J&K’s statehood.
Reiterating Congress’s commitment to the cause, Karra said the party’s demand for full statehood is non-negotiable.
“We want complete statehood like Gujarat, Maharashtra, or Uttar Pradesh — not a diluted version. This isn’t a request, it’s our right, which was taken away illegally and unilaterally,” he said.
Under its ‘Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq’ campaign, the Congress will hold a series of protest events across the Union Territory from August 1 to 21.
Karra announced that:
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August 5 will be observed as a Black Day
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A hunger strike will be held on August 9
Responding to criticism from the National Conference (NC), which claimed Congress did not consult them on protest plans, Karra clarified:
“The NC is part of the government, we are not. We support from the outside and have no compulsions. This is not just the Congress’s fight — it reflects the aspirations of 1.4 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir. We welcome support, but we won’t back away from our responsibility.”
