In a strong pitch for restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during Congress's first election rally in Kashmir, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the BJP for reducing Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a Union Territory (UT).
Addressing a rally at Dooru in Anantnag district in support of party candidate G.A. Mir, he said that the current status of J&K does not align with democratic principles.
“The definition of democracy doesn’t fit a place that has been reduced from a state to a UT,” Gandhi said.
Joining him on stage were National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, NC MP from South Kashmir Mian Altaf, and senior Congress leaders.
ALSO READ: BJP confident of winning 45 seats in Jammu and Kashmir, forming government
Gandhi said that democracy requires a state to have its own assembly where issues can be discussed and laws made, which Jammu and Kashmir currently lacks.
“In 1947, the Maharajas were sidelined to pave the way for democracy and an elected government,” he said. “Now, in J&K, we have an LG (Lieutenant Governor). I believe the term LG is wrong. It should be ‘Raja’ of the 21st century as he acts at his will.”
Gandhi stressed that restoring statehood to Jammu & Kashmir would be a top priority for the Congress and its allies if they come to power.
He warned that if the BJP fails to announce the restoration of statehood, the INDIA bloc will make it their priority after “dethroning” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party.
ALSO READ: Devender Singh Rana claims NC was ready to accept BJP CM and sought alliance in 2014
Gandhi accused the Modi government of benefitting only two billionaire families—Ambanis and Adanis. “I was told that the names of Ambani and Adani can’t be mentioned in a speech in Parliament,” he said. “I requested the Speaker to tell me what I should call them then. I referred to them as A1 and A2.”
He reiterated that wherever the BJP spreads hatred, Congress would counter it by spreading love.
Predicting an NC-Congress government in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress leader urged party supporters to ensure that wherever there is an NC candidate, Congress leaders and workers should support them, and vice-versa.
ALSO READ: Several separatists, kin join mainstream parties to contest J&K polls
Earlier, addressing a rally in Banihal in Ramban, Gandhi said that in the history of modern India, such disempowerment of a state has not been seen before. “Earlier, states were divided to create another state,” he said. “We have examples of Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and UTs like Arunachal Pradesh becoming full-fledged states. But the BJP government demeaned J&K by making it a UT.”
He said that the BJP avoided restoring statehood to J&K before elections, despite the Congress's desire to do so. “It was meant to serve the interests of the two billionaires,” he said.
He promised if the NC-Congress alliance wins the election, their first tasks would include filling all government vacancies, raising the age limit for job applicants to 40 years, regularising daily wagers and increasing their income.
Gandhi further said that the BJP and the RSS are spreading hatred and violence in the country and are working to divide it, but the Congress will work to unite the nation.
