Arshad Farooq
Sopore, Sep 25: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reaffirmed the opposition’s determination to exert full pressure on the Centre to reinstate Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Speaking at a public rally in Sopore, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha highlighted the historical injustice served when Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to a ‘union territory’ for the first time in history. He asserted that the INDIA bloc would vigorously advocate for its restoration.
“We wanted statehood restored before elections. All the people of Jammu and Kashmir desired elections post statehood restoration. The primary issue is your statehood,” Gandhi stated.
“Several UTs have been upgraded to states while states have been bifurcated. However, turning a state into a Union Territory is unprecedented. The initial step is elections, but the restoration of J&K’s statehood must follow,” he added.
“The INDIA Alliance will pressure PM Modi in Parliament regarding this matter. If they fail, we will restore your statehood immediately upon forming the government at the centre,” Gandhi further reiterated.
‘To enable our apples to reach America and Japan, statehood restoration is essential,” he emphasized.
He made an fervent appeal to the people of Sopore to elect congress candidate from the assembly segment.
He also the urged people of Baramulla to vote for Mir Iqbal and give him the chance to serve the people as he is the best candidate to represent them.
Significantly, Rahul Gandhi’s rally occurred in tandem with the second phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir, the first in a decade.
The Congress party, in alliance with the National Conference, is contesting for 32 seats while the NC aims for 51 of the 90 Assembly seats.
