Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in Jammu on Wednesday that if the central government does not grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after the assembly elections, the India Bloc will use its full strength inside the Parliament and even take to the streets if necessary.
Rahul was addressing a rally here. He said that when Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union Territories in 2019, a lot of injustice was done to the people here. Never in the history of India have we taken away the statehood of a state and turned it into a union territory.
This is Rahul Gandhi's third visit to Jammu and Kashmir in three weeks. Earlier on September 4 he visited Banihal and Duru, while on September 23 he visited Surankot and Central-Shalteng. As part of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the second phase of voting is being held today.
We wanted statehood to be restored before the elections
In Baramulla, Rahul said – We wanted the state status of Jammu and Kashmir to be restored before the elections. All the people of Jammu and Kashmir wanted that elections should be held after restoration of statehood, but it did not happen, the first step is elections.
But after this the state status of Jammu and Kashmir has to be restored. For this India Bloc will put pressure on Prime Minister Modi in Parliament. If they don't, we will restore your statehood as soon as the India Bloc government is formed at the Centre.
Rahul had said in Surankot – Narendra Modi is not the same as before
Two days ago, Rahul said in Surankot – Narendra Modi, who has a 56-inch chest, is no longer the same. I stand against him in the Lok Sabha. I can clearly see that his confidence is gone. They bring laws, we stand against them, they are not able to pass laws.
Rahul said that PM Modi's confidence has gone down. Today, whatever the opposition wants him to do, he gets it done. BJP fights brothers.
3 big things from Rahul's speech in Surankot…
1. On charges of spreading hatred against BJP
- BJP people spread hatred and violence 24 hours a day in Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the state. They know nothing else. They only know how to spread hate. His politics is also a politics of hate. You know, hate can't be cut with hate.
- These people work to share. Wherever they go, they talk of fighting, dividing one caste against another, one religion against another. These people also try to fight Gurjarbhai. His project will fail. We will move forward with everyone and give everyone their rights.
- Hate can only be cut through love. So, this is a battle of ideologies, on one side there are people who spread hate, on the other side there are people who spread love. Our message is that hate does not benefit anyone. In the market of hate we opened a shop of love in every state.
2. On confidence of PM
- We have broken Modiji's psychology. It is clear on his face that Narendra Modi who was earlier is no more. During the election he said that I am not biological, that means my direct connection is above, I speak directly. This shows that his confidence is broken.
3. On the demand for statehood to Jammu and Kashmir
- For the first time in India, a union territory has been converted into a state. It has happened several times that a union territory has been converted into a state. The state is also divided into two parts. Chhattisgarh was removed from Madhya Pradesh. Jharkhand was created from Bihar, but for the first time a state was made a UT.
- Your democratic rights have been taken away from you. This has happened for the first time in history. We demand that once again you are given the right to statehood. Demonetisation, implementation of wrong GST. They wiped out the small traders. Due to which no employment is available anywhere in India. Similar is the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Today outsiders make decisions here. You have no voice in running your government. Your government runs from Delhi. We wanted you to get statehood before the elections. After the elections we will put full pressure on you to get statehood.
Out of 90 seats, Congress is contesting on 32 seats, NC on 51 seats
Elections are being held in three phases in Jammu and Kashmir. Voting in the first phase has been held on September 18. Voting will be held in the second phase on September 25 and in the last phase on October 1. Counting of votes will be conducted on October 8. Congress and National Conference have formed an alliance in Kashmir. Out of 90 seats, NC is contesting in 51 seats and Congress in 32 seats.
5 seats will have a friendly fight. CPI(M) and Panthers Party got 2 seats. Congress has finalized the names of 40 star campaigners. It also includes names of Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia and Priyanka.
BJP is contesting in 62 out of 90 seats
BJP has announced candidates for 62 out of 90 seats in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP has fielded candidates on all 43 seats of Jammu division. The party is contesting 19 out of 47 seats in Kashmir. In the remaining 28 seats, the BJP will support independent candidates.
Assembly elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 years
Assembly elections are going to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 years. This is the first assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, of which 7 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 9 for Scheduled Tribes.
In the 2014 assembly elections, BJP won 25 seats. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) 15 seats and Congress 12 seats.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
