Srinagar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at BJP saying the situation in Kashmir has not improved on ground after the abrogation of Article 370.
On the India-China standoff, Rahul hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suggested that the way to deal with Chinese is to tell them firmly and clearly that they are sitting on our land which would not be tolerated.
"The Prime Minister is the only person in the country who is under the impression that the Chinese have not taken any land from India. I recently met some ex-army people and even some delegation from Ladakh who clearly said that 2000sq km of Indian territory has been taken away . Many of the patrolling points that used to be in Indian territory are now firmly in Chinese hands,” Rahul said in a press conference in Srinagar after unfurling the tricolour at Lal Chowk.
The former Congress president said the way to deal with Chinese is to tell them firmly and clearly that they are sitting on India's land and it is not going to something that they are going to tolerate
“I keep repeating that the approach the government is following by completely denying that the Chinese have taken our land is an extremely dangerous approach and is going to give them confidence to do even more aggression. I think the way to deal with Chinese is to tell them firmly and to be very clear that they are sitting on our land and it is not going to something that we are going to tolerate,” he said
On the Kashmir situation, Rahul argued that targeted killings and bomb blasts are happening regularly and it belies the claim of the BJP government of improvement in the situation.
“…If the situation is so good, why don't the BJP people do a Yatra from Jammu to Lal Chowk? Why doesn't Mr Amit Shah walk from Jammu to Kashmir if the situation is so secure? So I don’t think this argument ( improved situation) holds," Rahul said in a press conference in Srinagar
The former Congress president Rahul said the slogan of “ Naya Kashmir” by the ruling party does not hold any ground.
“I was saddened when I walked through J&K as nobody is happy here and Ladakh as well,” he said.
Asked about the historic moment of unfurling the tricolor in Lal Chowk almost 75 years after his great grandfather Jawahar Lal Nehru hoisted the tricolor and made certain promises, Rahul said he was pained at seeing present Jammu and Kashmir.
“I feel sadness when I think of the state. A strange idea came to my mind in Jammu, that my family descended from here and went to Allahabad and I am making a reverse journey. I felt I was going and that was a powerful feeling I had. I think I have affection towards the people of J&K and I come here with an open heart and with open arms to help in whatever I can...” he said.
Rahul said the restoration of democratic process and statehood was imperative and the fundamental right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also hit out at BJP alleging that it has destroyed the country's institutions.
"I think what the RSS & BJP are doing is attacking the institutional framework of the country, judiciary, media etc. What you see in J&K is the same assault. When we talk in the Parliament our mics are muted….. As far as I am concerned, the first step in Jammu and Kashmir is the restoration of statehood and democratic rights," he said. (UNI)