Intensifying its campaign in support of restoration of the 'statehood' in Jammu & Kashmir, Rahul Gandhi on Monday announced that the Congress party will put all its might and resources to achieve this goal.
Rahul also took Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha head on and asked him to apologise to the members of the Kashmiri pandit community for telling the prime minister’s package employees that they should not seek alms.
Addressing a gathering of common people assembled near Satwari to welcome the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said the biggest issue in J&K is the restoration of statehood. They (BJP) have snatched your right from you. Congress party would work for the restoration of statehood and will put all its might behind restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood".
Unsparing Rahul Gandhi also maintained, "Injustice is being meted out to Kashmir Pandits by this government. This morning, a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits met me and briefed me about their issues. I was surprised to know that their delegation was told by the Lieutenant Governor that they should not seek alms".
Gandhi said he wants to tell the lieutenant governor that they are not demanding alms but are seeking their rights. ”You (LG) should seek forgiveness from them (Pandits),” he said.
Rahul also claimed that Jammu and Kashmir has the highest level of unemployment in the country. Youngsters aspire to become engineers, doctors and lawyers but they find they cannot, he said. "There was another way (to get employment) earlier. It was with the Army. It has also been closed now by a new scheme, called Agniveer, introduced by BJP. That path is also now closed,” he said.”
Gandhi said he spoke to a cross section of people from J&K during his yatra and they raised their issues. He said they told him that their voices are not being heard by the administration. "The entire trade is being run by outsiders and people of J&K watch them sitting haplessly,” he said.