Says LG acting as ‘king', benefitting ‘outsiders', promises restoration of statehood
Jammu, Sep 4: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lost his confidence after the recently held Lok Sabha elections and the time is not far when his government will be removed.
At a poll rally at Sangaldan in Banihal Assembly constituency, he claimed the Central Government is run by PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and their corporate friends.
Targeting Modi over the unemployment issue, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said implementation of GST and demonetisation harmed the interests of small businesses as the government is working for two billionaires.
“I was told not to name Modi's corporate friends Adani and Ambani so I am using aliases like A1 and A2 for them. This government is like ‘we two, our two' — Modi and Shah, and Ambani and Adani — these four are actually running the government,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader alleged that Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was “snatched” following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution “to benefit the two billionaires”.
The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is worse than the rest of the country as it has the highest unemployment rate and the government has done nothing to generate employment opportunities for the youth, Gandhi claimed while addressing the poll rally.
He claimed that PM Modi's confidence went down when opposition parties came together under the INDIA bloc umbrella to challenge him.
“We have finished Modi psychologically. I sit in front of him in Parliament and I know his confidence is gone… Now a little time has left, we will remove Modi and BJP from government,” the senior Congress leader said.
Rahul Gandhi also said restoring statehood to J-K will be the first decision of the INDIA bloc when it comes to power at the Centre if the Modi government fails to so after the assembly polls.
Addressing rallies in Dooru and Banihal assembly seats, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Centre in Jammu and Kashmir is acting like a “21st-century king” and all benefits are being given to people from “outside” the UT.
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha expressed confidence that the Congress' alliance government will be formed next month in J-K. He attacked the Modi government, saying it had snatched people's rights and committed injustice to J-K by reducing it to a Union Territory.
“Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is a responsibility of not only the Congress party or INDIA bloc but of every citizen of the country,” he said.
Gandhi said his party wanted the statehood to be restored before the holding of assembly polls but the BJP wanted to do it after the elections.
“We will ensure the return to statehood, whether the BJP wants it or not. We will pressure the government under the banner of the INDIA alliance to ensure the restoration of statehood,” the Congress leader said.
“I guarantee that… either the BJP restores it (after polls) or when the INDIA bloc forms the next government (at the Centre), it will be the first decision,” he said.
He also likened the functioning of the Lt Governor with the kings of the past and said the country replaced them with a democratically elected government in 1947.
“A king is sitting here in J-K, who is called the LG, who is taking your wealth and giving it to people from outside by bringing in contractors…
“Here, LG is the king of the 21st century. Whatever he wants, he does it. The people here neither get employment nor any other benefits. The government gives all that to outsiders.
“They won't do anything about high electricity tariffs. They will give benefits to BJP and RSS people. This fight is not only here but throughout the country…the BJP and RSS are attacking democracy. The institutions like EC, bureaucracy, media, all are being controlled,” he said.
