Surankote: Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Congress wants Jammu and Kashmir to be run by locals instead of Delhi and promised that the party will pressurise the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after the ongoing assembly elections. He was addressing a rally in Surankote assembly constituency of Poonch district.
“If they do not restore statehood after the elections, we will put pressure on them to ensure that your statehood is restored,” he said at an election rally organised in support of Congress-National Conference alliance candidates.
Attacking the BJP-led government for snatching the rights of the people, he said that earlier governments in Jammu and Kashmir were run by the local people and their decisions were in your interest and for your better future. He told the people present, “Today outsiders are taking decisions for you and your voice is not in your government. Your government runs from Delhi, orders come from Delhi. We want your government to run from Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Congress leader asked people to feel free to approach him to raise any issue in Parliament. “I am always available to you, just give me orders and I am there to help you,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi said that after the Lok Sabha elections, the ‘INDIA’ (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) alliance has “shaken the confidence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He used to boast of his 56-inch chest but now he is not the same person as before,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi said, “This is the first time in the history of the country that a state has been converted into a union territory… Your democratic right has been taken away. We have given priority to the demand for restoration of statehood.” The former Congress president said, “We believe that first the statehood should be restored and then elections should be held, but they did not do so. We will put pressure on them and after the elections you will get your statehood back.”