Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday said that if the Congress is voted to power in the coming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, it will restore statehood and “democratic rights” of the people of the Union Territory.
Rahul Gandhi addresses the media in Srinagar along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (left) on Thursday. (Reuters Photo)
Addressing a press conference after interacting with Congress workers in Srinagar, Gandhi said, “We understand you are going through a tough period. Our national manifesto is clear that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will get their democratic rights back. It is a priority for the Congress and INDIA bloc to restore statehood to J&K and democratic rights of its people.”
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be done on October 4.
Accompanied by Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi met party workers from across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday morning.
After interacting with them, he said, “You are not workers, you are family. As soon as we got to know that elections were going to be conducted, we first decided to come here to Jammu and Kashmir because we wanted to give a message to the people of every state that for us the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their statehood is the most important thing. In the history of India, after Independence, many UTs have been converted into states but there is only one example when statehood was taken away and a Union Territory was created.”
Kharge said that Gandhi was related to Jammu and Kashmir “by blood” and appealed to voters by saying that their votes “are needed to save the country and the culture and rights of the citizens”.
“If we win the elections in J&K, the whole of India will come under our control. As Rahul Gandhi said, his relationship with J&K is not limited to likes or dislikes. He is related to J&K by blood. We hope J&K will stand with us in the elections. The BJP is always the one who decides where and when to begin elections. All their anger and frustration are targeted only at the Congress because no other party gives them a tough fight. The only person who dares to fight is Rahul Gandhi. We need your votes to save the country, to save your culture and rights,” Kharge said.
During the visit, Gandhi and Kharge gathered feedback on the grassroots-level preparations for the assembly elections. District Congress presidents and district development council members from all 10 districts of the Valley were present at the interaction.
The two Congress leaders are headed to Jammu, where they will hold discussions with party workers of the 10 districts in the region.
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