Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declared on Wednesday that restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is a collective responsibility of all Indian citizens, not just political parties. He assured that if the current Modi government fails to reinstate statehood after the upcoming Assembly elections, the INDIA alliance government will make it their first priority.
Speaking at an election rally in the Dooru Assembly segment of Anantnag district, Rahul Gandhi criticized the decision to convert Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory, stating, “For the first time in the history of independent India, a state was downgraded to a Union Territory. Converting a UT back into a state or splitting a state deepens democracy and extends rights, whereas turning a state into a UT removes those rights. This injustice has been inflicted upon you.”
He emphasized that the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is not only the responsibility of the Congress, the National Conference, or the INDIA alliance but of every Indian citizen. “Despite what the BJP and RSS might say, we are committed to restoring statehood to the people of J&K. We wanted this restoration before the elections, but the BJP preferred to hold elections first,” Rahul added.
Gandhi guaranteed that Jammu and Kashmir would regain its statehood. “One thing is certain: Jammu and Kashmir will get its statehood back. Either the BJP will restore it after the polls, or the INDIA bloc government will make it their first decision when they come to power,” he stated.
He also criticized the current lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, describing him as a “21st-century king” and accused the administration of favoring outsiders over local residents. “The lieutenant governor acts as if he is the king of the 21st century. People here neither get employment nor any other benefits, which are instead given to outsiders,” Gandhi said.
He further alleged that the current administration would not address issues like high electricity tariffs and was instead focusing on benefiting BJP and RSS supporters. “This issue extends beyond J&K; the BJP and RSS are undermining democracy across the country. Institutions like the Election Commission, bureaucracy, and media are all being controlled,” he concluded.