NEW DELHI, Aug 22: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wants to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Giriraj Singh said on Thursday and asserted that such a move will never be accepted by the country.
His remarks came on a day Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, told a press conference in Srinagar that it is the Congress and the INDIA bloc's priority to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Gandhi said it is the Congress's aim that people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh get their democratic rights back.
In 2019, the Centre had abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“It is on Rahul Gandhi's mind. He is thinking about restoring Article 370 in Kashmir but this will never be accepted by the country,” Textile Minister Singh told PTI when asked for his comments on the sidelines of the ‘Shilp Didi Mahotsav' at Dilli Haat here.
Taking a swipe at Gandhi, the senior BJP leader said the Congress leader looks jaded ever since he was asked about his “religion and caste”.
The Congress has mostly stuck to the demand of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood but has not taken a categorical stand on the nullification of its special rights.
Taking aim at Gandhi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, BJP general secretary and organisational in-charge for J-K Tarun Chugh on Wednesday asked the Congress leader to clear his party's stand on the Articles 370 and 35A.
During the ‘Shilp Didi Mahotsav', a fortnight-long marketing event dedicated to the Shilp Didi Programme, Singh said the mahotsav provides a unique platform for woman artisans to expand their market reach and attract new customers for their handicraft creations.
He interacted with the artisans to understand their challenges and encouraged them to further develop entrepreneurship and utilise social media in their economic journey.
“The minister appreciated the Shilp Didis initiative as a significant step towards empowering the women artisans, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to enhance their business and secure financial independence,” the textiles ministry said.
