Rahul Gandhi’s J&K poll campaign starter

Anantnag, Sep 04: On Wednesday afternoon, when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stood behind a wooden lectern in Dooru village of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to address an impressive gathering, the crowd erupted in supportive slogans that filled the air for quite some time.

Sporting his signature white t-shirt, Gandhi, who started the Congress’ J&K poll campaign, made the restoration of statehood the main poll plank.

“You will get the statehood. I am saying this with a guarantee,” Gandhi said.

He said that either the current dispensation would restore the statehood or the next government of INDIA alliance would do it.

“INDIA bloc’s first step will be to give you the statehood,” Gandhi said.

He said that they would not stop until the government restored statehood to J&K.

“We will mount pressure on them and in the parliament. It (downgrading the state to a union territory) has happened for the first time. The decision has to be reversed,” Gandhi said, his speech interspersed with claps from the crowd.

Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said that states, post-independence, were carved out of union territories and even many new states were formed by dividing territories.

“But it is for the first time in the history of modern India that a union territory was formed out of a state,” the Congress leader said, spurring the crowd to chant ‘shame’.

He said that when union territories were transformed into states or divided to form new states, democracy was deepened to deliver rights more efficiently to people.

“But when we downgrade a state into a union territory, we snatch its rights,” Gandhi said.

He said that injustice had been done to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is not only the responsibility of the Congress, the National Conference, or the INDIA bloc, but of every citizen of India to get statehood back to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Congress leader said.

He said that he wished for the restoration of statehood to J&K before the holding of assembly elections, but BJP was unwilling and wanted elections to be held first.

“We will ensure the restoration of statehood whether the BJP or RSS wants it or not,” Gandhi said.

Criticising Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, he drew an analogy between him and the monarchs.

“The LG word is a misnomer. He is the monarch of the 21st century. He does whatever he wants to do,” Gandhi said.

He said that the people of J&K were deprived of employment opportunities and the benefits were given to the outsiders.

“…and they do nothing for you. They will only enhance electricity bills, give contracts to outsiders, and those affiliated with the BJP and the RSS,” Gandhi said.

He said that the BJP and the RSS were launching assaults on democracy and other institutions across the country.

“Be it the Election Commission of India, bureaucracy, or the media, they are capturing all the institutions to give benefits to a few corporate houses,” Gandhi said.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, he said that only a few people linked to BJP were running the government.

“All the businesses go to these few people. Amit Shah’s son has never picked a cricket bat and he was made the in-charge of the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” Gandhi said.

He said that the BJP was playing the hate and divisive politics by pitting one community against the other.

“Wherever they go, they spread hatred,” Gandhi said.

Talking about his 4000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said that the motive of the countrywide yatra was to end hatred.

“… and we opened the stall of love in the market of hate,” he said.