Srinagar: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed his willingness to forge an alliance with other opposition parties for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls and termed the ruling BJP’s promises to the people of the Union Territory “jumla”.
Kharge, along with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, spoke to Congress leaders and workers here on Thursday to get feedback about the party’s grassroots-level preparations for the Assembly polls.
“This was the first meeting after the polls were announced…. We are here to seek the views of local leaders and workers for the polls and alliances. Under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, we have taken the initiative to restore statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. We promise to work towards that,” Kharge told reporters here.
He said Gandhi is interested in forging a pre-poll alliance in the Union Territory.
“Rahul Gandhi is interested in contesting the polls unitedly with other parties in Jammu and Kashmir. We have had success as well. We have seen the results in the Lok Sabha polls. The INDIA bloc stopped a dictator from coming to power (at the Centre) with an absolute majority. This is the biggest success of the INDIA bloc,” Kharge said.
The Congress president said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is worried after the Lok Sabha polls as some of the legislations it was keen on passing in Parliament have either been withdrawn or sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
He claimed that the BJP used to take advantage of its brute majority in Parliament to pass anti-people laws like those on the farming sector.
About Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge said not a single promise made by the BJP to the people of the region before elections has been fulfilled.
“Not a single promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir before polls has been kept. They are all jumla,” Kharge said.
The saffron party downgraded the erstwhile state into a Union Territory and the people here were not given any rights, he said, adding that there is no legislative council, no panchayat or municipality. “The people have been kept away from democracy,” Kharge said.
He said the Assembly polls have been announced in Jammu and Kashmir only because of the Supreme Court’s direction that the election be held by September 30.
“I want to tell the BJP and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi saheb that try as you might, you will not be successful in suppressing the voice of people. You cannot suppress their aspirations. In a democracy, the voice that matters is the voice of people, and we will continue to support the voice of people.
“We will be with the people. We will fight shoulder to shoulder with them for their wishes and aspirations. This is our promise,” the Congress chief said.
He said if elected to power, the Congress will work on job creation, bringing investments and giving a boost to horticulture and tourism as well as small-scale industries.
Kharge also said all secular forces will work together towards the restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We want peace and prosperity to be restored in Jammu and Kashmir. There is violence on the border, infiltration and terror. They (BJP) used to say that when Article 370 (of the Constitution) goes, it will stop terror and bring prosperity. Where is the prosperity? Unemployment is increasing, there is price rise and their atrocities are also increasing across the country,” he said.
The BJP government in J&K, he claimed, is engaging in “daily wagering, contractual employment, and need-based hiring”, which is why thousands of positions in the state remain unfilled and unemployment has reached a peak, according to Kharge.
“People watch and tolerate everything patiently, but the moment oppression overrides them, they rebel against it,” he said, adding, if we are elected to power we would work to provide employment possibilities, bring in as many investment programs as possible to J&K, safeguard and develop small-scale and horticulture and tourism industries.
In order to bring back peace and prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge promised to oppose communal powers. He said infiltration on borders and terrorism are increasing in J&K and the Centre has forgotten its claims that peace would return to the region once Article 370 is repealed.
“Price hike and inflation has hit an all time high in J&K. We promise that people of J&K would longer bear this burden and witness peace and prosperity,” said the Congress leader.
The Congress president also said Gandhi will travel to all the poll-bound states. (With additional inputs from PTI)
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is the Congress and the INDIA bloc’s priority.
The former Congress president also said it is his party’s aim that the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh get their democratic rights back.
“It is our priority, and also of the INDIA bloc, to get statehood restored to J&K as soon as possible. We had expected this could be done prior to elections, but it is okay, elections have been declared.
“It is a step forward and we are hoping that statehood will be restored as soon as possible and the democratic rights of the people of J&K will be restored,” Gandhi said at a press conference after an interaction with party workers here.
The Congress leader said he has “a very deep relation” with the people of J&K and it is always a pleasure for him to visit here. He assured them that the Congress is always there to help them in whatever way it can.
“My message to the people of J&K is that whatever way we can help you, the Congress party is always there. We understand that you are going through a very difficult period, a tough period. We want to end violence.”
Referring to his Bharat Jodo Yatra which had culminated here, Gandhi said, “We want to open “Mohabbat ki dukan nafrat ke bazaar mein” (shop of love in market of hate) with respect and brotherhood.”
He said it is the first time since Independence that a state has been downgraded to a Union Territory (UT).
“This has never happened before. UTs have become states, but it is the first time that a state has become a UT. We are very clear in our national manifesto as well that it is a priority for us that the people of J&K and Ladakh get their democratic rights back,” he added.
Earlier, addressing his party leaders and workers, Gandhi said he shares an old bond and a blood relation with Kashmir.
Referring to his late night visit to have dinner and relish ice-cream here, he said he felt irritated when someone asked him whether he liked the people of J&K.
“We went to the restaurant to have dinner. They brought Wazwan. Kharge-ji has been advised by his doctors not to eat non-vegetarian food, so he could not relish Wazwan. Then I went out to have some ice-cream.
“I met some people there who asked me whether I like the people of J&K. This irritated me and I told them that no I do not like the people of J&K, I love them,” he said.
Gandhi said it is his mission to “erase the pain and fear in the hearts of the people of J&K”.
“I, Kharge-ji and the Congress party want to end the pain that you are going through,” he added.
The Congress leader said his party and the opposition’s INDIA Bloc “crushed” the self-confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha polls.
“The ideology of the Congress party and the INDIA Bloc defeated him. We did not resort to violence or abusive language, but succeeded in conveying a message to PM Modi that he is not what he thinks he is. We have crushed his self-confidence and psychology,” he said. PM Modi does not thump his chest anymore, he added.
He also told his party workers that even if the Congress entered into an alliance in J&K, the interests of party workers and leaders will not be compromised.
“Alliance will take place. But there won’t be an alliance at the cost of Congress workers’ and leaders’ interest. You should remain assured that there will be no compromise on the interests and respect of party workers and leaders,” he said.
Gandhi, along with party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday spoke with Congress leaders and workers here to get feedback about the grassroots-level preparations for the assembly polls.
