Jammu Kashmir Assembly Election 2024: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the party's election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir for the upcoming assembly polls. Addressing a public rally at Sangaldan, a part of the Banihal Assembly constituency in Ramban district, the Congress leader alleged that land is being snatched from the poor people in Jammu and Kashmir and being sold to outsiders.
“Outsiders are running the businesses in J&K and the administration does not pay heed to the demands and concerns of local businessmen," Gandhi said.
Rahul assured people that Congress along with INDIA bloc partners will ensure the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.
"Our first step will be giving back the statehood to J&K. We wanted you to get statehood before elections and that elections take place after J&K becomes a state. BJP does not want this," said the Leader of Opposition.
"They wanted elections to take place first and then talk about statehood. Whether the BJP wants it or not, the INDIA alliance will put pressure on them and the people of J&K will get statehood...," he added.
The Raebareli MP promised that if elected to power, the party would first fill all the government vacancies, regularise the daily wage workers, and make them permanent.
He also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "sent by God" remark during the Lok Sabha election campaign.
"Narendra Modi used to say that he talks to God directly. If any Congress party worker comes to me and tells me that he talks to God, then I would tell him not to talk about it outside as it will cause harm," Rahul said.
He further trained guns saying: "This election gave a direct message to Narendra Modi that God talks to the common people and God works after listening to the opinion of the common people."
Voting in Banihal Assembly constituency will take place with 25 other segments in the first phase of the three-phased assembly elections on September 18.