Rahul Gandhi invokes blood ties with Jammu and Kashmir, attacks BJP ahead of second phase of polls

Srinagar: Invoking his blood relation with J&K, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said his heart and doors were always open for the people of the Union Territory. He promised to represent them to the best of his abilities in Parliament.

Gandhi addressed an election campaign rally in Shalteng constituency of Srinagar, from where the recently-appointed J&K Congress chief Tariq Karra is contesting as NC-Congress alliance candidate.

However, no NC leader was present on the stage in Shalteng as the party's rebel candidate Irfan Shah, who won the 2008 assembly elections here, is now fighting as an independent. Noor Muhammad, a former colleague of Karra in PDP, is also contesting here. In another rally in Surankote constituency of Poonch, Gandhi was accompanied by NC chief Farooq Abdullah.


"You know I have an old relationship with the people of J&K. It is not a political relationship. It is a relationship of heart, blood and love," said Gandhi. "Whenever you need me you just have to command and I will be present before you. Whatever you want me to represent and speak for in Parliament, you just command and I will do it."

He reiterated that the Opposition INDIA bloc guarantees that statehood will be restored to J&K. "We will pressurise BJP to restore statehood. If they don't do it, we will surely restore the statehood of J&K," said Gandhi.

He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that his government's policies have failed the common people of the country. He said Modi's policies have resulted in massive unemployment across the country, including J&K, where "any degree be it in engineering or medicine is useless as there are no job opportunities".

"Narendra Modi does 'Mann Ki Baat' but he doesn't know how to do 'Kaam Ki Baat'," said Gandhi. The PM should be speaking about how to end unemployment, reduce inflation, lay down a vision for youth of the country and restore statehood to J&K, said Gandhi.

He alleged the BJP government has destroyed small and medium businesses across the country.