‘I want Americans to relish Kashmiri apple’
*GST, demonetization aimed to help Adani, Ambani
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Sept 25: Alleging that ‘some people’ from outside are imposing decisions on the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi today questioned the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ project and alleged that GST and demonetisation were used as weapons to clear roads for business tycoons like, Adani and Ambani.
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Addressing an election rally in support of Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance candidates from Jammu district, Rahul Gandhi said that decisions taken by the `outsiders’ are being imposed on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He criticized the present LG administration for prioritizing the people from outside, over local residents, claiming that the presence of the Lieutenant Governor has marginalized the local interests.
He said all the big and small contracts are being given to the outsiders. The local mining activities and local resource have also been handed over to the outsiders while the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been left to face economic distress. The educated youth are without jobs and the unemployment in J&K has reached to an alarming situation,. He promised to fill up all the nearly one lakh vacancies in J&K as Cong-NC Government comes to power.
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Launching a scathing attack on BJP, Rahul Gandhi accused the saffron party of using Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax (IT) to browbeat opponents.
“They (BJP) are talking about ‘Make in India’ and the Defence Industry but the reality is that all the contracts are going to people like Adani. An Israeli company is making weapons and Adani is pasting his label.
“An Israeli company is making drones but the label is of Adani. They say it is ‘Made in India’ but how so? These are Israeli weapons made by Adani and not made in India and this is the situation in the entire country,” Gandhi remarked.
He alleged that the Government is only working for billionaires like Adani and Ambani.
“The GST was a weapon to target entrepreneurs and small and medium businesses. The same way demonetisation was also used as a weapon. These are not policies but weapons and its target was to clear the roads for people like Adani and Ambani. The wrong GST implementation and demonetisation led to the destruction of lakhs of small businesses across the country,” the AICC leader asserted.
Gandhi claimed that the airports, ports, roads, defence weapons and even the apple produced in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are controlled by Adani.
“Earlier, the Kashmiri apple was going through Jammu in the rest of the country. Now, it is in the hands of Adani who also handles apples from Himachal Pradesh. Same is the position in every industry,” Gandhi said.
“We have Adani tax at airports and Ambani’s mobile tax. If you want to move on the road, the tax goes to Adani, cereal produce is handled by Adani, the tax on weapons and bullets used by the Army goes to Adani. How long this will go on?” he asserted.
Gandhi alleged that if an airport is being run by someone else, the Government is using the CBI and ED to force him to hand over the facility to Adani.
He accused the BJP-led Government of waiving loans worth over Rs 16 lakh crore to 25 business tycoons like Adani and Ambani but no such concession was granted to Jammu traders or farmers, the youth who have taken education loan and the patients who have spent hefty sums on their treatment.
‘If you are taking a bank loan and fail to return the money, you are put in the jail,’ he said.
Rahul further alleged that they have made the “complicated GST and high-tech smart meters’ only for the purpose of extortion”.
“If you do anything wrong, the Central agencies like ED, CBI, GST and Income Tax people will come and they will take money and leave. This is the system going on in the country under the BJP rule,” he alleged.
Referring to his interaction with a group of professionals on reaching Jammu earlier in the day, he said a girl told him that her dream to start a small aromatic plants business was dashed because the Government failed to provide her the promised support. Gandhi said the distressed girl does not want to run her business anymore.
Terming downgrading the full-fledged State of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory as a brazen act of snatching the democratic rights of the people, AICC leader vowed that the INDIA bloc will use its full force in the Parliament and on the streets to ensure its restoration if the BJP-led Government fails to do so after the Assembly polls.
“It is the first time in the history of Independence India after 1947 that a full-fledged State has been downgraded into a Union Territory”, Gandhi said.
He strongly criticized the 2019 decision to divide the State into two Union Territories, calling it a grave injustice. Rahul assured the youth that restoring Statehood is crucial for their future and the region’s progress.
“It should have never happened in any other part of the country, and I guarantee you that if the BJP does not restore Statehood after the elections, INDIA bloc will use full force in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and even take to the streets for the restoration of Statehood to J&K,” he asserted.
Referring to migrant Kashmiri Pandits and refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, he said all the promises made to them by the Manmohan Singh Government will be fulfilled after the formation of the National Conference-Congress Government in J&K.
He also said the smart electricity meters will be removed and Punjabi will be granted official language status.
Prominent those present on the dais and spoke included AICC incharge J&K Bharatsinh Solanki, Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Mukesh Agnihotri, Vikar Rasool Wani, AICC co-incharge J&K Manoj Yadav, Divya Maderna, All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba, Neeraj Kundan, Indian Youth Congress president Uday Chib, Mula Ram, Yogesh Sawhney, Manmohan Singh, T S Tony, Balbir Singh and others.
Earlier, in the morning Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha engaged with over 300 businessmen and professionals from across Jammu and Kashmir and promised them of giving utmost importance to economic development and job creation in the Union Territory.
Gandhi referred to the event at a public rally here and said until the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) get a boost, there will be no employment avenues in J&K.
Addressing the concerns at the ‘Dogri Dham with RG’ event hosted by the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) here, Gandhi promised that a Congress-led Government in Jammu and Kashmir will prioritise economic development and job creation.
“He promised to ensure that the to-be-formed Congress alliance Government in Jammu and Kashmir will give utmost importance to economic development and job creation in the State,” an AIPC Statement said.
He outlined several key policy proposals aimed at boosting the local economy, including improved access to capital for MSMEs, export incentives and measures to reduce tax-related burdens on businesses.
During the event, Gandhi participated in a candid Q&A session, where attendees highlighted specific challenges facing businesses in the region, AIPC said.
Topics ranged from access to capital for MSMEs to export incentives and the ongoing issue of tax harassment.
Later, addressing an election rally in Dangerpora area of Sopore in Kashmir, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said that he wants Kashmiri apples to reach the international market but that wasn’t possible without Statehood.
Gandhi said that he wants people of the United States of America to relish Kashmiri apples.
“I want this apple to not reach Indian markets but China, America and Japan too. Your future lies in this apple. I want people of America to relish Kashmiri apples,” he said.
He promised to set up an apple processing unit in the town to give a boost to the industry. “I promise, if our Government comes to power, we will set up an Apple processing unit here and fix the Rs 72 per kg rate for apples. The processing unit will help you to send the product to national and international markets much quicker,” he said.
Hailing the senior Congress leader and former party MLA from Sopore Haji Rashid for keeping dry fruit and walnuts before him, the Congress leader said: “One thing you had missed to keep for me is apple. Your future lies in this Apple,” Gandhi told the rally while holding an apple in his hand.
The Congress leader said that Statehood was the prime demand of people of J&K. “INDIA bloc will put pressure on the BJP led Government at the Centre in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to restore Statehood to J&K. If they fail, we will do it as a first thing after coming to power,” he said.
“We wanted Statehood restored before elections. All the people of J&K desired elections post Statehood restoration. The primary issue is your Statehood,” he said.
He said J&K was the only State run by outsiders rather than Chief Ministers or MLAs. “Here, LG and bureaucrats are calling the shots,” he added.
He urged Abdur Rashid Dar, the Congress candidate from Sopore to invite him for at least two days next time. “I want to understand the issues being faced by people of Sopore,” he said.
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