Policies in J-K framed, designed to benefit outsiders, says Priyanka Gandhi

Srinagar, Sep 28: Senior Congress leader and the party's general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Saturday said, the terrorism is still alive in Jammu & Kashmir and that there is "suffocation" in the Union territory for the last ten years.

Addressing a political rally in Jammu's Bishnah, Gandhi criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for speaking about the restoration of statehood. "It is BJP that snatched the statehood of J&K and now are seeking people’s support to restore it again," she said.

She said, Congress was committed to ensure the restoration of statehood to J&K and the old age practice of Darbar Move. (The erstwhile state of J&K had two capitals, one for winter and the other for summer. The administration moved from Srinagar to Jammu during winters and vice versa in summers. However, the move was banned by the current administration, citing excess loss to state exchequer.)

The Congress leader said that her party will also "protect the land and jobs for the J&K people."

If voted to power, Gandhi said that the contentious ruling to install 'Smart Meters' will be revoked and the pending electricity bills will be waived off, news agency KNO reported her saying.

Talking about Kashmiri Pandits, she said, their rehabilitation process started during the tenure of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, and that the process will be resumed.

Debunking government's claims of 'terror free J&K', Gandhi said that 683 terror incidents have taken place in which 260 security forces, and 170 civilians were killed. Gandhi didn't give the time period during which these killings took place. However, the otherwise peaceful Jammu has seen a spate of attacks in recent months.

Targeting the present administration further, Gandhi said that the policies in Jammu and Kashmir are being framed and designed to benefit the outsiders.

"Mineral blocks and other things have been handed over to the people from outside J&K," she said.

“The people hailing from J&K are being pushed to the wall while constructing their houses as the resources available in J&K are being provided to the outsiders,” she said, adding that it is easy to make this statement on the stage, but the people in front of her have borne the brunt.

“There are scams everywhere and even the jobs are being delayed with it,” she said, adding that Congress will fill one lakh job vacancies and ensure there are no paper leaks so that the jobs are provided to the youngsters without any delay.

Reacting over the drug menace, she said that the BJP is tight-lipped over the rising menace as the party knows unemployment is among the major reasons behind it.

Reacting to PM Modi's speeches where he targeted the 'three families', Gandhi said that people are well aware of who is going to work for them.

"The region of J&K has been static for last ten-years and that there is suffocation in the Union Territory," she said.