Rahul attacks BJP for snatching J&K statehood, reiterates pledge to restore it
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for spiraling unemployment in the country, especially in poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for snatching Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and reiterated the pledge to restore it while expressing confidence that the Congress and ally National Conference (NC) will form the next government in the region.
“For the first time in independent India, a state was downgraded to a UT [Union Territory], and rights of the people were snatched. It never happened before,” he said.
The Union government in 2019 stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status by revoking the Constitution’s Article 370 and divided the region into two UTs. The region is going to first assembly elections since 2014 in three phases in September and October.
“First of all, the statehood has to be restored because not only they [BJP] snatched your statehood but also your rights, money, and everything,” he said at a rally in Ramban, his first ahead of the assembly polls.
Gandhi likened the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor to a monarch although monarchs were removed to pave the way for democracy when India got its independence in 1947. “Your wealth is being given away to the outsiders. Our first step in Jammu and Kashmir will be to restore statehood. It should have been given before elections but BJP insisted on polls first,” said Gandhi. “The Opposition alliance]... will put such pressure on the BJP that they will have to give it back.”
He said the people were being denied free electricity within five km of the projects in a river-rich region like Jammu and Kashmir with huge hydopower generation capacity. “They [BJP] are giving power to other states but no free electricity to the people here. On the contrary, you are paying more for electricity.”
Gandhi blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unemployment, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the BJP’s ideology and wrong policies have caused unemployment. “Jammu and Kashmir has the highest unemployment in the country. Small businessmen...tourism and handicrafts are being crushed. The situation is bad.”
Gandhi said the implementation of Goods and Services Tax and demonetisation hit hard small businesses while accusing Modi’s government of working for the welfare of industrialists Adani and Ambani. “The statehood was snatched to help these two friends of Modi,” he said.
Gandhi said the Congress-NC alliance government would fill vacant government posts, extend the age for getting government jobs to 40, regularise daily wagers, and enhance their wages. He referred to Modi’s claims of “invincibleness” and “direct connection with God” and added the Prime Minister says none can defeat the BJP. “He says he has a direct connection with God and talks to him. The Prime Minister says he is non-biological and talks directly to God but in [Lok Sabha] elections God gave Modi a direct message. We have defused Modi psychologically. I sit in front of him in the Parliament.”
Gandhi said Modi’s confidence has vanished after the Opposition parties joined hands and fought jointly. He maintained Modi was now afraid of the people. “Now, little time is left before we remove them from the government. We want communal harmony, brotherhood, and a government where the weak feel part of this nation. The country does not belong to two to three people,” he said