Srinagar, Sep 23 (IANS): Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said on Monday in central Shalteng Assembly constituency of Srinagar district that his love and attachment for Kashmir were known to everyone and he does not need to repeat it.
A booklet containing speeches of LoP Rahul Gandhi about his attachment and ancestral connection with Kashmir was released during the Congress rally.
The former party chief addressed the Congress rally in central Shalteng Assembly constituency where JKPCC President, Tariq Karra is the consensus candidate of the NC-Congress alliance.
He said, “You have seen that before the Lok Sabha election, there was talk of Narendra Modi as a person with ‘Chappan inch ki Chaati.’ Now his mood has changed as the INDIA bloc has defeated his confidence and he is no longer the same person.
“You see him from a distance, but I see him from very close quarters. He is no longer the same person. He makes brother fight brother, state fight state, community fight community. This hatred can only be defeated by love. This is the culture, the history and the tradition of Kashmiri people.”
The LoP continued, “We travelled 4,000 kms from Kanyakumari to Kashmir spreading love wherever we went. In India, states were divided to make other states, but in your case, a state was downgraded into a UT. We want your statehood back and I guarantee that first we will put pressure on the BJP and if they don’t do it, then we will give you your statehood back.”
“There used to be a factory of the HMT in this area. He has stopped all small industries. For 25 billionaires he has waived loans of crores.
“He brought down small industries and threw youth out of employment. Employment is not available anywhere in India. Take whatever degree you might, but you won’t get employment.
“Now employment is needed, youth need vision, give J&K statehood. He does ‘Mann Ki Baat’, but nobody listens to him now,” Rahul Gandhi said in a veiled reference to the PM.
“All your decisions about education, healthcare are taken by outsiders. There is a ‘raja’ here who is called Lieutenant Governor. He is a non-local and he can’t bring you development, that is why we want that you elect your own government and take your own decisions,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“In our manifesto we said one lakh government jobs we will bring immediately. Rs 3,500 monthly unemployment allowance will be given and women will get Rs 3,000 every month and Rs 5 lakh will be given to each Self-Help Group. We will provide mobile clinic for every tehsil and super specialty hospital in every district, plus Rs 25 lakh health insurance cover. We will give every family 11 kgs of rice,” Rahul Gandhi assured the people.
He added, “When people were leaving the Congress, Karra Sahib joined us. I appeal to you to elect him and send him to the Assembly as your MLA.”