‘Restoring statehood to J&K our priority’: Rahul Gandhi in Kashmir
"Holding elections is a step forward and we are hoping that statehood will be restored as soon as possible," said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (August 22) said it is the priority of the Congress and the INDIA bloc to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The former Congress president also said it is his party's aim that people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh get their democratic rights back.
“It is our priority and also of the INDIA bloc to restore statehood in J&K as soon as possible. We had expected this could be done prior to elections, but it is okay, elections have been declared. It is a step forward and we are hoping that statehood will be restored as soon as possible and the democratic rights of the people of J&K will be restored,” Gandhi said at a press conference after an interaction with party workers in Srinagar.
He said it is the first time since Independence that a state has been downgraded to a Union Territory (UT). “This has never happened before. UTs have become states, but it is the first time that a state has become a UT. We are very clear in our national manifesto as well that it is a priority for us that the people of J&K and Ladakh get their democratic rights back,” he added.
Willing to forge alliance: Kharge
Meanwhile, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed willingness to forge an alliance with other Opposition parties for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls and termed BJP’s promises to the people of the Union Territory “jumlas”.
He said Rahul was keen on forging a pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. “Rahul Gandhi is interested in contesting the polls unitedly with other parties. The INDIA bloc stopped a dictator from coming to power with an absolute majority (at the Centre),” Kharge said.
The Congress president said the BJP was worried after the Lok Sabha election results as some of the legislations they were keen to pass have either been withdrawn or sent to a joint parliamentary committee.
Kharge claimed the BJP used to take advantage of its brute majority to pass acts like the farm laws.
About Jammu and Kashmir, he said not a single promise made by the BJP before the polls has been fulfilled. “Not a single promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir before polls have been kept. They are all jumlas,” Kharge added.
Interaction with party workers
Kharge and Rahul began interactions with party workers in Kashmir valley to get feedback about the grassroots-level preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This was our first meeting with the party leaders and workers after the polls were announced... We are here to seek the views of local leaders and workers for 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.
After wrapping up their interactions in Srinagar, the two Congress leaders would fly to Jammu where they would hold discussions with party workers of the 10 districts in the Jammu region, a Congress leader said.
Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases -- September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4.
(With agency inputs)