Lawyer Deepika Pushkar Nath returned to the Congress after almost six years on Friday and said her decision was not “opportunistic” but based on the belief that the party is the only one capable of addressing the challenges facing the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Nath, who shot to fame for representing the family of the eight-year-old victim in the 2018 Kathua rape and murder case, first joined the Congress in October 2021. She quit the party in January 2023 on “ideological grounds” after it allowed former minister Lal Singh to join the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.
According to Nath, Singh was responsible for sabotaging the Kathua rape case by “brazenly defending” the rapists of the nomadic girl.
On Friday, Nath joined the Congress at the party office here in the presence of its general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra.
“This decision is neither abrupt nor opportunistic, it is the culmination of introspection, my unwavering commitment to the people of J&K and my belief… (that) the Congress is the sole platform capable of addressing the pressing challenges we face,” she said.
The Congress has consistently stood as the “custodian of India’s democratic ideals and the aspirations of the people of J&K”, she added.
Nath said her return to the party is not a mere political gesture but a commitment to reinvigorate the Jammu and Kashmir Congress and reclaim its position as the voice of the people.
“To those who question my motives, let me be clear: my commitment is to the people of J&K, not political expediency. To my colleagues in the Congress, I return with the resolve to rebuild and strengthen our party in J&K.
“And to the naysayers, my return is a declaration that the Congress will not retreat but advance with renewed vigour and purpose,” she said.
Over the past two years, Nath said, she stepped away from active politics but remained deeply connected to the ground realities of J&K through her legal and social engagements.
“This period of reflection has only reinforced my conviction that J&K requires a resolute political force that genuinely represents its people, not as a facade for power but as a vehicle of change,” she said.
The Congress, with its legacy of service and vision, is that force, she added.
“Despite my brief absence, I have always aligned with its ideology, values and the belief that progress must be inclusive, rights-driven and grounded in constitutional integrity,” Nath said.
