Jammu, September 4: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Wednesday that the BJP was spreading hate and fear in the country and that the Congress would defeat it with love. He said the Congress-NC alliance will form the government in J&K.

Addressing an election Rally in the Sangaldan area of Ramban district in Jammu while campaigning for Congress candidate Vikar Rasool Wani, Rahul Gandhi said, “This place is so beautiful that I don’t want to go to the second poll meeting. You have put me in a dilemma. I want to spend a few days with you people here only.” Wani is the Congress candidate in the Banihal constituency of the district. Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: National Conference Leader Omar Abdullah Files Nomination From Ganderbal Seat; Congress Rebel Sahil Farooq and JKUM Leader Ishfaq Jabbar Also in Fray.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP and the RSS were spreading fear, hate and violence in the country, but assured the people that the Congress would defeat this design with love. “Thus the fight is between two ideologies, on one side there is fear, hate and violence and on the other side is love, honour and respect. We travelled 4,000 Km on foot from Kanyakumari to Kashmir telling people that in the hate bazaar spread by the BJP, we have come to trade in love. They (BJP) want to divide while we want to unite,” he said.

The Congress leader said there should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the Congress is going to form the next government in J&K in alliance. “This is inevitable and this is happening,” he said. He said previously, "PM Narendra Modi used to enter with a broad chest and now he comes with drooping shoulders. This time he entered the Parliament carrying a copy of the constitution on his head." Gandhi emphasized that for the first time in India's history, statehood has been snatched from a region leaving the people without their rights. Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: Congress Declares List of 23 Candidates for 2nd and 3rd Phase of Polls, Check Names.

“Not only has your statehood been snatched away, but your rights, your wealth, everything is being taken away from you. In the past, states were divided to make two states, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh are all examples of new states carved out of one state, but never before was a state divided and broken into two union territories as was done to J&K. First priority is to restore statehood to J&K. After 1947, we removed kings and established democratic government and today, J&K is ruled by a king. He is called the L-G, but in reality, he is a King," Gandhi said.

“We wanted the statehood to be restored before the elections, but the BJP said first elections and then statehood. Whether BJP wants it or not, the INDIA bloc will put so much pressure on the BJP so that your statehood is restored,” Rahul Gandhi said. He said power projects are made in J&K, but the people never get the benefit of those power projects. He alleged that J&K has more unemployment than the rest of the country. He appealed to people to vote for Vikar Rasool Wani, the Congress candidate from Banihal constituency. Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretary Bharatsinh Solanki and JKPCC president, Tariq Hameed Karra were accompanying Rahul Gandhi during the visit. 

Congress and NC have announced a pre-poll alliance according to which the NC will fight on 52 seats and the Congress on 31 seats. Two seats, one for CPI(M) and one for Panthers Party have been left by the alliance. In five seats of Nagrota, Bhaderwah, Banihal and Doda in the Jammu division and Sopore in the Valley both parties will field candidates against each other in what the alliance calls ‘a friendly contest’. J&K has 90 Assembly seats, 47 in the Valley and 43 in Jammu. Out of these, nine are reserved as ST seats and seven are reserved for SC.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2024 04:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).