Team News Riveting
Srinagar, August 10
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi today recalled his Kashmiri connection and said, “I too believe in Kashmiriyat; a bit of it is in my veins too.”
“Our family lives in Delhi, before that in Allahabad and before that in Kashmir. I too believe in Kashmiriyat; a bit of it is in my veins too,” Gandhi said. He added, “We tried to solve Kashmir in a different way by love and engagement but BJP has smashed all the good work. We know J&K people are hurt…I want a relationship of love and understanding.”
Rahul, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday paid obeisance at the Kheer Bhawani temple and Hazratbal shrine before inaugurating a party office in Srinagar. This is his maiden visit to the valley after the Centre abrogated Article 370. In August 2019, the Centre had abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two territories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
He lashed out at the Centre and said that Jammu and Kashmir should get the status of full statehood and democracy was restored. “I will stand by you and I will fight to get statehood for you,” the Congress leader said.
Gandhi shared the stage with senior party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad who flayed the Centre for the August 5 move. He said: “16,500 people were jailed; even former chief ministers were not spared.”
Azad reiterated that elections could be held only after the statehood demand was met, adding that the same was conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when J&K leaders met him.
