SRINAGAR: Taking a tough stance on the statehood issue, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asserted that if the BJP government does not restore statehood in Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition INDIA alliance would use all available means in Parliament and even take to the streets to push for the restoration of statehood.Rahul addressed the poll rallies in Jammu and Sopore in north Kashmir in favour of party candidates, contesting the third and final phase of Assembly polls in J&K on October 1. The focus of Rahul’s campaigning remained the restoration of statehood.“It was for the first time in India’s history that a state (J&K) was converted into a Union Territory. Earlier, UTs were converted into states, and were divided into more states. In Indian history, this happened for the first time state’s rights were snatched. It should not have happened,” the Congress leader stated.On August 5, 2019, the Centre scrapped J&K’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).Rahul said the people of J&K were told that “you were not a state but a UT. The government will not be run by the CM and MLAs but by the L-G and the outside bureaucrats. We had thought that statehood would be restored before elections. It was the right option. Now that the elections are being held, we want that J&K’s statehood to be restored as soon as possible.”If the BJP does not restore statehood for some reason, then when the INDIA alliance comes to power in Delhi, which is certain, the first thing it will do is restore statehood.For the first time, Rahul has taken a tough stance during his election campaign for the J&K polls and warned of street agitation if statehood was not restored to it.The PM and Home Minister during their rallies said statehood would be restored only by BJP government.
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