Rahul Gandhi’s Vow: Statehood for J&K, Under Modi or Future Government

Silent on Article 370, Congress leader at first election rallies in J&K describes the LG as “21st-century raja”, says INDIA has “deflated” Modi’s confidence

Addressing his first rally in Kashmir for the coming Assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday promised return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, stating that ensuring this was “the responsibility of every citizen” of the country.

Accusing the BJP of “taking away the rights and dignity” of the people of J&K, Gandhi said that the next government in the Union territory will be of the INDIA bloc and called their fight “a fight for justice”.

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah by his side, Gandhi was, however, silent on Article 370, whose abrogation accompanied the conversion of J&K from a state into two separate UTs, including Ladakh. Revoking the abrogation is one of the top promises of the NC manifesto, and the BJP has tried to put the Congress on the spot over it.

Gandhi said that both the Congress and ally NC initially wanted statehood before the elections. But now, they are committed to restoring it to J&K at the earliest. “The BJP and RSS may say anything, but we will return statehood to the people of J&K… I am giving you this guarantee, either they (the Narendra Modi government) restore statehood or the next government in Delhi, which will be an INDIA alliance government, will.”

Gandhi spoke about how in independent India, there was no other instance of a state becoming a UT. “When a UT is made into a state, we deepen democracy in that area. However, when a state becomes a UT, their rights are snatched away. And that is the injustice that has been done to J&K,” he said.

AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir is the Congress-NC alliance candidate from the Dooru seat. Before arriving in Dooru, Gandhi addressed a rally at Sangaldan area of Banihal constituency in the Jammu province, from where former Congress state chief Vikar Rasool is contesting.

A crowd of about 5,000 people from across constituencies in the Anantnag district was present to hear the top leaders of the poll partners at Dooru.

Gandhi said he could sense that the people of J&K “have made up their mind and the INDIA alliance is winning this election”. However, he said, they should guard against a division of votes. “On one side, there is the BJP and RSS, and on the other is the INDIA alliance – Congress and NC. There should be no division of votes. Wherever there are NC candidates, Congress workers should give them their full support, and where there are Congress candidates, NC workers should give support.”

Terming the J&K Lieutenant Governor, whose powers were expanded ahead of the election announcement, “a 21st-century raja (king)”, the Congress leader said that even as the people of J&K are seeking employment, “the king sitting here is giving benefits to outsiders”.

Highling the power shortage in both the regions of the UT, which is a big poll issue, Gandhi linked it to the “outsider” sentiment. “They make you pay bills, they install meters, but they take away your rights and give contracts to people from outside and those connected to the BJP and RSS,” he claimed.

The Congress leader linked this to what was happening in other parts, saying: “The BJP and RSS are attacking democracy across the country. This was a more direct attack on you – taking away statehood. But look at the state of Manipur, look at all the institutions of India… the Election Commission, bureaucracy, media… they are capturing all these institutions and directing the benefits to two or three industrialists.”

Making a reference to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, Gandhi said he “never held a bat and has become the incharge of cricket (ICC)”.

Six or seven people are running the country, “and they think the people of the country will sit quietly”, the Congress leader said, adding that things have changed. “You would have seen that before the (Lok Sabha) elections, Narendra Modi would come with an inflated chest. Now that 56-inch chest has disappeared.” The INDIA alliance has “deflated” the confidence of the Prime Minister of India, Gandhi said.

Raising the issue of Kashmiri Pandits, the Congress leader said the BJP had used them for its benefit, but the Congress will help them. “When we form a government, we will take you along,” he said.

In his speech, Farooq Abdullah said that the last 10 years have been about “survival” for J&K, with the people “deprived of a life of dignity.” Urging NC and Congress functionaries to work together, Farooq drew on the symbols of the two parties. “The hand will now drive the plough,” he said.

Speaking earlier at Sangaldan in Ramban, Gandhi talked about his 4,000-km Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, and said that it was during this procession that he gave the slogan, ‘Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukaan kholni hai (We have to open a shop of love in the market of hatred)’.

It was the BJP and RSS that spread “hatred, violence and fear”, and it was a fight between these two ideologies, Gandhi said. “They work to spread hatred, and our job is to spread love. They divide, we unite. And you know hatred will be replaced by love, hatred cannot be defeated by hatred, love alone can defeat hatred,” he said, stressing on communal harmony.

Gandhi also praised the beauty of the region and expressed his desire to spend a few days there after the elections. Source