'J&K ruled by outsiders': Rahul Gandhi promises statehood

Jammu: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi today reiterated his party’s promise to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

He said making Jammu and Kashmir a union territory was a grave injustice to the people of the erstwhile state.

Gandhi had special praise for Jammu and its people, saying it was an important link between Kashmir and the rest of the country.

Addressing a public rally in support of the party candidates in the historic city of temples today, Gandhi said that Jammu and Kashmir were now being ruled and governed by outsiders. He said only the outsiders were running the show and all contracts were being given to the outsiders only.

Promising that the Congress along with the INDIA bloc partners will ensure the restoration of the statehood using the parliamentary forum as well as the streets, Gandhi said if by any chance the BJP does not restore the statehood, the INDIA government which will be formed in any way later will restore it. He said this must never happen again anywhere in the country that a state is brought down to the level of the UT.

Leader of the Opposition referred to the sorry state of affairs of the small and medium industries in Jammu. He said it was primarily because of the demonetization and the wrongly implemented GST regime.

Rahul Gandhi said that like the small and medium industries were suffering in JK, the same was the situation in the rest of the country as the Modi government only worked for big billionaires like Ambani and Adani. He pointed out, the Modi government had waived off debt to the tune of Rs 16 lakh crores of 25 billionaires like Adani and Ambani.

He asked people whether the government had waived off the loan of any farmer, any small and medium entrepreneurs the students who had taken the loan for studies, or those who had incurred debt for their medical treatment.

Gandhi pointed out how every business was being handed over to Ambani and Adani. He said the apple trade in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir had been given to Adani; arms manufacturing, airports, and other government assets were also given to Adani and Ambani.

He said while Ambani and Adani have their place in the business, it must not be at the cost of the small and medium-scale industries.

He said, besides the restoration of statehood, the promise made by Dr Manmohan Singh ji to displaced Kashmiri Pandits will be fulfilled. He said the financial package announced for the POK and other refugees will also be implemented. Besides, he added, the smart meters will be done away with and Punjabi will be made one of the official languages of the state.

Prominent among those present were J&K in charge of Bharat Singh Solanki, HP Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, Vikar Rasool Wani, Raman Bhalla, Yogesh Sawhney, and others.