![AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and vice president Rahul Gandhi during a meeting with senior JKPCC leaders in Delhi on Tuesday. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and vice president Rahul Gandhi during a meeting with senior JKPCC leaders in Delhi on Tuesday.](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/page1-8-3-696x359.jpg)
‘Clean chit to China by Modi Govt endangered national security’
* J&K Cong’s priority, says Rahul
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 26: Stating that Congress is the unifying force in the Jammu and Kashmir, All India Congress Committee president, Mallikarjun Kharge today asked the party cadre in the J&K to gear up with full force for the upcoming elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
While addressing the meeting of senior Congress leaders from J&K in presence of AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary (org), KC Venugopal and new incharge J&K affairs of the party, Bharat Singh Solanki at party headquarters, New Delhi this evening, Kharge said Congress is the main unifying force not only in the Jammu and Kashmir but throughout the country.
While BJP is habitual of playing dangerous card of creating division in the society and spreading hatred along the communities, the Congress believes in taking along all the communities. This is the real strength of the Indian democracy, AICC chief maintained.
Referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress president asked the party cadre in J&K to ‘pull their socks’ and face the elections with full might. At the same time, he advised the cadre to rise above their ‘personal interests’ and internal bickerings, if any, and work collectively to face the elections in the Jammu and Kashmir. He said no one is above party and party is always supreme. So, taking along all the leaders, display unity and make party more strong in the JKUT, Kharge suggested.
Training guns at the Modi Govt, AICC president said this Govt has left no stone unturned in betraying the people of Jammu & Kashmir. He said Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are inalienable and indistinguishable part of India, but PM Modi’s clean chit to China, post Galwan, has endangered our national security and strategic interests.
“We are deeply concerned about the rise in terror attacks in Pir Panjal and the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the last few years. We hope to see full statehood restored to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh being made a state at the earliest,” AICC chief added.
“People of Ladakh are unitedly demanding safeguards for the tribal people of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. But the Modi Govt has time and again, deceived them.
People of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh want change and want their voices to be heard and they conveyed the same to us, during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, led by Rahul Gandhi. This Yatra received massive support in Jammu and Kashmir. He said Congress party and all its allies are strongly committed to the welfare, development and empowerment of J&K and Ladakh.
AICC vice president, Rahul Gandhi while addressing the meeting said that J&K is the priority of the Congress Party. He said in the national interest and its strategic location besides roots of his family there, J&K has always remained their priority.
“ We don’t go by the number of Parliamentary seats there in J&K and Ladakh. For our party J&K and Ladakh are the priority. We believe in communal harmony, brotherhood and unity among all the communities. They (BJP) believe in divisive agenda and politics of hate. Majority of the people in our country believe in communal harmony, peace and development,” Gandhi added.
While stressing the party leaders from J&K to intensify their activities in view of coming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, Rahul said people in J&K as per the feedback he received from people during his Yatra, are fed up of BJP’s proxy rule in J&K. They have lost Statehood and right on jobs and lands. Unemployment has increased manifold. The youth is very annoyed. The people there are not happy with BJP. He asked party cadre to reach out to the public and highlight own party agenda and policies while exposing BJP for its misrule and misdeeds.
The party sources said during meeting high command also reviewed political and general security situation in the Jammu and Kashmir, specially in context of recent Poonch and Rajouri incidents and targeted killings in Kashmir during last one year. The party president also discussed the issue of alliance for the elections in the Jammu and Kashmir and sought suggestions. AICC chief also chaired a meeting of the party leaders from UT of Ladakh.
Besides AICC general secretary and former JKPCC chief G A Mir, JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani, working president Raman Bhalla, CWC Member Tariq Hamid Karra, former DyCM Tara Chand, former JKPCC president, Peerza Mohd Sayeed, JKPCC chief spokesperson and senior vice president, Ravinder Sharma, senior leaders Mula Ram, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Balwan Singh, Yogesh Sawhney, Balbir Singh, Haji Abdul Rashid, Jahangir Mir, S S Channi, T S Bajwa, Hari Singh Chib, Shabir Khan, Naresh Gupta, Shahnawaz Choudhary and Mahila Cong president Shameema Raina attended the meeting.