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Statehood to J&K should have been granted before polls: Rahul Gandhi
Canvassing for Congress candidate Haji Rashid from a seat that the Congress had won in the 2014 assembly polls, Gandhi spoke about the farmers’ hard work in producing world-class apples.
Campaigning in the Valley’s apple-growing belt, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attempted to strike a chord with the farming community.
Canvassing for Congress candidate Haji Rashid from a seat that the Congress had won in the 2014 assembly polls, Gandhi spoke about the farmers’ hard work in producing world-class apples.
“We want this apple to reach the United States, China and Japan,” Gandhi said amid applause from party workers, adding, “Apples from the US are brought into our country, but I want apples from Sopore to reach the US as this is your future.”
Sopore houses Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi from where more than three crore apple boxes are sent out. The town located in the Baramulla district, which produces 70% of the UT’s apples, is surrounded by picturesque orchards.
The horticulture department, especially apples, have become a major poll issue, with many political parties including measures for the development of the sector in their manifestos.
Gandhi also raked up statehood, saying, “Never has a state been reduced to a union territory. You were told that the place will be run by a lieutenant governor and bureaucrats instead of assembly members and chief minister.”
Emphasising that statehood should have been granted before assembly elections, he said, “Even people of Jammu and Kashmir also wanted that but Narendra Modi did not do it. We will take the issue of statehood to the Parliament and will pressure the government to grant statehood and if it’s not done, when the INDIA bloc comes to power, statehood will be granted.”
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will use its full force within Parliament and even hit the streets if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre fails to restore statehood to Jammu & Kashmir after the ongoing assembly elections, Gandhi had in a separate rally in Jammu on Wednesday.
Restoration of statehood for the Union territory is one of the promises made by the Congress in its election manifesto.
Addressing a rally in Jammu, Gandhi said grave injustice was done with the people of Jammu & Kashmir, when the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union territories.
“Since 1947, there were instances where several Union territories were converted into states and states were further divided into two states but there was never an instance where a state was downgraded into a Union territory. It was grave injustice with the people of J&K. Your democratic right was taken away,” the former Congress president said.
On August 5, 2019, Parliament passed the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Bill that led to bifurcation of the erstwhile state (into Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh) and the effective abrogation of Article 370 that gave the region its “special status”.
Gandhi continued: “It has never happened in the history of India that we have taken away statehood and transformed a state into Union territory. It should have never happened and I guarantee you that if the BJP is not going to restore statehood (after the elections), we, the INDIA bloc, will use our full force in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and even come on the roads for the restoration of statehood to the region.”
On September 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Katra in Jammu, had pledged his commitment to restoring the region’s statehood.
The Congress leader criticised the current administration for allegedly prioritising “outsiders” over local residents, claiming that the presence of the Lieutenant Governor has marginalised local interests. “As long as the Lt Governor is there, outsiders will benefit and locals will be sidelined,” he said.
He said that the restoration of statehood is crucial for the region’s future. “J&K cannot move forward without it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gandhi met 328 businessmen and professionals from various sectors in Jammu and assured them that the “to-be-formed Congress alliance government in Jammu & Kashmir will give utmost importance to economic development and job creation”. The party is fighting the polls in an alliance with the National Conference.
