Lagatar24 Desk
Jammu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) statehood, declaring that his party would fight for it both in Parliament and on the streets. Speaking at a rally in Jammu, Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of stripping J&K of its statehood to control the region through the lieutenant governor and benefit outsiders, which he said was detrimental to the local population’s prosperity.
Gandhi’s remarks coincided with the second phase of assembly elections in J&K, the first since the region’s semi-autonomous status was revoked under Article 370 in August 2019, and its division into two Union territories. He emphasized that the elections are about restoring the rights of the people.
“We will ensure statehood and that the government will protect local industries. The doors of banks will be opened for common people,” Gandhi told the gathering.
“Grave Injustice” to J&K
He called the downgrading of J&K from a state to a Union territory an unprecedented and unjust move. “Never in our history has a state been reduced to a Union territory,” he said, adding that the Congress-led INDIA alliance would apply its full strength to restoring J&K’s statehood if the BJP fails to do so. He promised that restoring statehood would be the first priority of an INDIA government.
Criticism of Economic Policies
Gandhi also criticized the BJP government’s economic policies, alleging that they favor prominent business tycoons like Ambani and Adani while hurting small businesses. He blamed decisions like demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for destroying the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, which he said had been a backbone for employment in J&K and across the country.
He warned that until the MSME sector is revived, there will be no significant employment opportunities for youth. “I just met professionals and entrepreneurs who shared how the backbone of Jammu’s business sector has been broken,” Gandhi said, emphasizing that small and medium businesses must be empowered to create jobs.
