Jammu, Sep 18: Ridiculing BJP for peddling pseudo nationalism to hoodwink innocent people, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Sachin Pilot on Wednesday said that the Saffron Party has been exposed before the masses due to its anti-people policies.
“The BJP’s pseudo-nationalism will not fool the people of the country and the Congress party doesn’t need lessons on patriotism and nationalism from them”, Pilot said while addressing a press conference here after addressing a series of public meetings in support of party Congress candidates in Jammu province.
Accompanied by AICC Incharge J&K Affairs Bharat Sinh Solanki, Pilot emphasized that Congress has a rich history of sacrifices for the country, and its commitment to the nation’s well-being is unwavering.
He was replying to a question regarding reports of BJP hobnobbing with some anti-national forces to grab powers in Jammu and Kashmir through proxies.
Flanked by AICC Secretary Co Incharge Manoj Yadav, JKPCC Senior Vice President and Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, AICC Media Coordinators Dolly Sharma, Onika Mehrotra, Pilot also highlighted the Congress party’s alliance with the National Conference, aimed at providing a strong alternative to the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pilot pointed out that the BJP has no significant presence in the Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
Furthermore, Pilot criticized the BJP’s track record, stating that their true intentions were exposed within 100 days of forming the government at the Centre.
He claimed that the Congress party has forced the BJP to roll back several unconstitutional decisions, including lateral entry, following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Pilot reaffirmed the Congress party’s commitment to granting full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, a long-standing demand of its people. He assured that the party will work tirelessly to restore the dignity and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and will not let the BJP’s flawed policies undermine the state’s progress.
“The BJP is clearly on the back foot in both poll-bond states of the Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana elections. The people have seen through their divisive politics, and they are losing ground”, he said, adding “The decision by the Union Government to push for ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a blatant attempt to centralize power and undermine the democratic processes at the state level. It is undemocratic and goes against the federal structure of the country, and we strongly oppose it”.
Pointing toward bumper voting in the first phase of Assembly elections in J&K, Sachin Pilot commended the Supreme Court of India for its instrumental role in ensuring the conduct of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pilot credited the court’s landmark verdict for compelling the BJP-led government to hold elections in the region, which has been without a popular government for a decade.
“The Supreme Court’s intervention has paved the way for democracy to prevail in Jammu and Kashmir,” Pilot said.
“The Apex court’s verdict has ensured that the people’s voices are heard, and their right to choose their representatives is respected.”, he said.
Pilot hailed the impressive voter turnout in the first phase of elections, citing it as a clear indication that the people of Jammu and Kashmir crave change. “The bumper voting numbers demonstrate the public’s eagerness for a new direction, one that prioritizes development, peace, and prosperity,” he added.
Pilot reaffirmed the Congress party’s commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, vowing to address their concerns and work towards a brighter future.
“We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the region’s development and prosperity,” he said.
PM Modi calls upon young voters to exercise franchise
New Delhi, Sep 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon voters, especially “young and first-time voters,” to exercise their franchise as the first phase of assembly elections has begun in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the social media post of X, PM Narendra Modi wrote, “As the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections begins, I urge all those in constituencies going to the polls today to vote in large numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I particularly call upon young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise.”
Voting in the first phase of the three-phase election in Jammu and Kashmir began on Wednesday under stringent security measures. The voting is taking place in twenty-four Assembly constituencies, spread across seven districts for the first time in 10 years.
This is also the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019, stripping the then state’s special status and reorganising it into Union Territories.
The key candidates contesting in this phase include Engineer Rashid’s Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party, which struck an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, and Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference, which is also in the fray. Some separatist outfits are contesting as independents in many seats.
