Srinagar, Aug 22 :
Amid fervour over the upcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that the priority of the Congress and INDIA opposition bloc to restore statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and democratic rights of its people.
“It is our priority in the Congress party to restore statehood to JK as soon as possible. Elections are a step forwards and we are hoping statehood will be restored,” Rahul told reporters during a presser in Srinagar after attending the workers meet here.
“We are clear in our manifesto that the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh get back their democratic rights. You are going through a tough period. We want to remove this,” he added.
‘First Time A State Downgraded To UT’
Hitting out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government at the Centre for its Aug 5, 2019 decision to strip erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir of its special status under Article 370, Rahul said, “In indian history after independence, many UTs were upgraded to states, but there is a lone instance wherein statehood was snatched away. This has happened first time in the history of the country”.
“We came here together to convey a message that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and statehood is paramount.
Restoring J&K Statehood
I safeguard democracy and representation of people. We want to remove the fear in the minds and hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added. Amid uncertainty over a pre-poll alliance between the Congress and National Conference in the upcoming Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Rahul Gandhi said that the alliance will take shape “but while maintaining respect and dignity for Congress workers”.
“If anyone has worked in Jammu and Kashmir with confidence, it is the Congress worker. I know what you have to go through. You have to fight every day for Congress ideology and play with your life. Coalition will happen, but with dignity for Congress workers. It will happen with love and friendship. Because you have dedicated your life for Congress ideology,” Rahul said during the Congress workers meet.
People’s Representation Paramount
Rahul said that ever since the ECI announced the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election schedule, he along with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was eager to visit the UT.
“Because we wanted to convey to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to the entire country that for us the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and statehood is paramount,” he said in an apparent dig at the BJP government at the Centre over its abrogation of Article 370 and downgrading of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into UT.
‘INDIA Bloc Destroyed Narendra Modi’s Arrogance’
Rahul Gandhi also targeted PM Narendra Modi and the BJP over the saffron party’s poor show in the Lok Sabha election 2024 saying that the INDIA bloc had “destoyed the arrogance of Narendra Modi”.
‘Have Blood Relation With People Of Jammu and Kashmir’
Greeting the local Congress workers in Kashmir at the outset of his address at Srinagar workers meet, Rahul Gandhi said, “We call you workers, but you are not workers, but part of our family,” he said to an applause by the workers.
“While having dinner last night, a visitor told me that you like the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which irritated me. I don’t like the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but I love them. This is another relation, a blood relation,” he said.
Path To National Politics Goes Through Jammu and Kashmir: Kharge
Congress National President, Mallikarjun Kharge, in his opening comments at the workers meet said, ” If we win the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the whole of India will be ours”.
Hitting out at the BJP for its “anti-Congress tirade”, Kharge said, “They only come after Congress, because other parties don’t give a fight. There is only one fighter and he is Rahul Gandhi,” he said. Kharge said that the upcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was important to “save people’s culture, rights and self-respect”.
Amid the assembly elections fervour in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday evening and attended a meeting with the party leaders and workers of the Kashmir valley for preparations for the polls today.
Rahul and Kharge are meeting AICC members, PCC members, PCC functionaries, DCC Presidents, Ex- Legislators, frontal wing heads alongwith ten senior office bearers & block Presidents ,DDC members and Ex Corporators of SMC at a private hotel in Srinagar.
The two top Congress leaders are on a two-day visit to the poll-bound UT. They arrived on Wednesday evening in Srinagar and will be leaving for Delhi today evening from Jammu.
Sources said the leaders explored and discussed the options for a pre-poll alliance with National Conference with their JK cadre before sealing the deal with the INDIA alliance partner.
Jammu and Kashmir is slated for assembly polls on September 18, September 25 and October 1 in three phases and counting will be held on October 4.
Kharge, along with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, spoke to Congress leaders and workers here on Thursday to get feedback about the party’s grassroots-level preparations for the Assembly polls.
“This was the first meeting after the polls were announced…. We are here to seek the views of local leaders and workers for the polls and alliances. Under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, we have taken the initiative to restore statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. We promise to work towards that,” Kharge told reporters here.
He said Gandhi is interested in forging a pre-poll alliance in the Union Territory.
“Rahul Gandhi is interested in contesting the polls unitedly with other parties in Jammu and Kashmir. We have had success as well. We have seen the results in the Lok Sabha polls. The INDIA bloc stopped a dictator from coming to power (at the Centre) with an absolute majority. This is the biggest success of the INDIA bloc,” Kharge said.
The Congress president said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is worried after the Lok Sabha polls as some of the legislations it was keen on passing in Parliament have either been withdrawn or sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
He claimed that the BJP used to take advantage of its brute majority in Parliament to pass anti-people laws like those on the farming sector.
About Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge said not a single promise made by the BJP to the people of the region before elections has been fulfilled.
“Not a single promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir before polls has been kept. They are all jumla,” Kharge said.
The saffron party downgraded the erstwhile state into a Union Territory and the people here were not given any rights, he said, adding that there is no legislative council, no panchayat or municipality. “The people have been kept away from democracy,” Kharge said.
He said the Assembly polls have been announced in Jammu and Kashmir only because of the Supreme Court’s direction that the election be held by September 30.
“I want to tell the BJP and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi sahib that try as you might, you will not be successful in suppressing the voice of people. You cannot suppress their aspirations. In a democracy, the voice that matters is the voice of people, and we will continue to support the voice of people.
“We will be with the people. We will fight shoulder to shoulder with them for their wishes and aspirations. This is our promise,” the Congress chief said.
He said if elected to power, the Congress will work on job creation, bringing investments and giving a boost to horticulture and tourism as well as small-scale industries.
Kharge also said all secular forces will work together towards the restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We want peace and prosperity to be restored in Jammu and Kashmir. There is violence on the border, infiltration and terror. They (BJP) used to say that when Article 370 (of the Constitution) goes, it will stop terror and bring prosperity. Where is the prosperity? Unemployment is increasing, there is price rise and their atrocities are also increasing across the country,” he said.
The Congress president also said Gandhi will travel to all the poll-bound states.
The Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4.(
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and giving back the statehood is most important for the Congress, adding that there is a “battle of ideologies” between Congress and RSS.”
Addressing the people of Jammu, the LoP emphasised the culture of Jammu and said that it’s a land of Maa Vaishno devi, adding that the people here have different thinking and styles.
“Jammu has a culture, a history, it’s a land of Maa Vaishno devi, your lifestyle and thinking style are different. Every state has a different style, we want all these cultures, history and languages to be protected. We want your voice in your govt. BJP has a different thinking, they want to run the entire country from Nagpur, through remote control. The complaint that you are making is that outsiders are getting benefits, if you go to Maharashtra, you’ll hear a similar complaint,” he said.
“We want statehood for you, that is in your heart. We want you to run your state the way you want to, this is the message we came to convey,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi further said that his relationship with the people of Jammu is of love and family.
“My relation with you all is that of love and family. My family comes from your state, so you have to keep in mind that I am your soldier in Delhi. Whatever you want… my doors are always open for you,” he said.
He further asserted that the assembly elections are a battle of ideologies between Congress and RSS.
“Alliance is happening… I want our workers and commanders to get respect from whatever alliance takes place. You fight for us and it’s a battle of ideologies – between Congress and RSS… I sit in parliament, I see him (PM Modi). I can tell you that you have finished the confidence of PM Modi. Congress workers have given so much psychological tension to him that his psychology has collapsed,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said, “You know your sipahi is in Delhi. Anything you want you can tell me I will do that.”
Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held an hour-long meeting with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah at their residence in Srinagar where they sealed the deal for the pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly election.
The Congress leaders dropped at the residence of Abdullahs after meeting their party leaders and workers in Srinagar where Rahul took them into confidence for the alliance as per sources.
Immediately after the conclusion of the address with workers and a press briefing where Kharge said that they will make INDIA alliance stronger in Jammu and Kashmir and restore the statehood, Rahul and Kharge drove to the residence of Abdullahs at fair-view Gupkar.
The arrival of the top Congress leadership itself shows that the pre-poll alliance has been sealed as the seat arrangements between the two parties was worked out in the last week by their respective committees.
Talking to reporters after meeting the Congress leaders, NC President Farooq Abdullah confirmed that the pre-poll alliance between the NC and the Congress had been sealed on all 90 seats.
Significantly, the NC Chief omitted the PDP while claiming that CPI(M) State Secretary Yusuf Tarigami was with the INDIA bloc. The NC chief said that that bloc will release the first list of candidates in the evening.
“People are with us. We want to get rid of divisive elements through the elections,” Abdullah said in an apparent reference to the BJP.
Sources said that the announcement will be made within a few days as the nomination filing for the 24 seats seats which are slated for polls in the first phase on September 18 is ending on August 27.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi along with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge attended a workers meet in Srinagar to kickstart the party’s preparations for the upcoming assembly polls.
