Srinagar: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised to be the voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the Parliament, reiterating the Congress party’s commitment to put pressure on the BJP-ruled Centre to restore
J&K’s statehood.
“Whenever you need me, you just have to give me an order and I will be present before you. I will raise your issues in the Parliament. You know the special relationship I have with you. I do not have to even mention it,” Gandhi said in an election rally in the Zainakote area on the city’s outskirts. “I will be your voice in parliament,” he added.
Gandhi said the biggest issue is the restoration of statehood. “We guarantee that it will be restored. If the BJP does not give it to you (after elections), we will ensure that it is restored,” he added.
The Congress leader said downgrading J&K into a union territory was an injustice done to the people of J&K.
“For the first time, a full-fledged state (J&K) was turned into a UT and your democratic rights were snatched,” he told the rally, also attended by Congress ally and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah. “We will put pressure on them (government) and we will ensure that it (restoration of statehood) is done. If they don’t do it we
will,” Gandhi said.
Addressing a rally in the Surankote assembly segment of Poonch district, Gandhi also attacked the PM, claiming the INDIA bloc “broke his psychology” after the Lok Sabha elections. “He used to boast about a 56-inch chest but he is not the same person anymore,” he said.
He also accused the BJP and RSS of spreading “hatred and violence” in the country and dividing people on the lines of caste, creed, religion, region and language.
Seeking support for Congress-National Conference alliance candidates, he said his party wanted the restoration of statehood before the ongoing polls. “We were of the view that statehood should be restored first followed by elections but they did not do it. We will put pressure on them and you will get back your statehood after elections,” he said.
Referring to the now-defunct HMT watch factory, Rahul said the BJP has closed many such factories
across the country.