Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with locals at a restaurant in Srinagar, on August 21, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on his visit to Srinagar noted that it was for the first time in India’s history that Statehood was withdrawn and Union Territories were created, in reference to the Centre’s 2019 move.
Mr. Gandhi arrived at Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) to hold meetings with senior Congress leaders and with the National Conference (NC) leaders, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah. The two parties had been holding backchannel meetings to finalise seat-sharing arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Assembly polls.
Speaking to Congress party workers on Thursday, he said that the “representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is important”.
“In the history of India, after the independence, many Union Territories (UT) have been converted into States but there is only one example when Statehood was taken away and a UT was created. This has never happened before,” said Mr. Gandhi.
“We want to give this message that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is important, it is important for us and it is important for the country.”
Rajya Sabha LoP and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge mentioned that Rahul Gandhi is related to J&K by blood and appealed to voters saying that their votes are needed to save the country and the culture and rights of the citizens.
The first Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election in a decade will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1, the Election Commission of India announced on August 16, 2024. This will also be the first Assembly poll in J&K since Article 370 was abrogated in 2019.
(With inputs from ANI)
