Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has sharply criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Jammu & Kashmir, attributing Gandhi’s ability to dine peacefully at Lal Chowk in Srinagar to the successes of the Narendra Modi-led government over the past decade. Speaking to reporters in Jammu on August 22, Reddy challenged Gandhi to clarify the Congress party’s stance on Article 370 and the National Conference’s resolution.
“Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of the country about the resolution of the National Conference. They should also talk about Congress’ stand on Article 370. Do they want to snatch the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir again? It is due to the 10 years of work of the Narendra Modi government that he (Rahul Gandhi) was able to go to Lal Chowk and eat food last night,” Reddy remarked.
Adding to Reddy’s comments, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh emphasised the transformation of Lal Chowk from a stronghold of stone-pelters into a tourist destination. “This is an expired alliance. Rahul Gandhi came and I saw him eating ice cream. He should thank PM Narendra Modi for making Srinagar a smart city and a peaceful city. Lal Chowk, which was once a stronghold of stone-pelters, has now become a tourist hub. This is a changed Jammu and Kashmir,” Chugh stated.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the region included meetings with Congress workers in Jammu & Kashmir, accompanied by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge. Addressing party members in Srinagar, Gandhi expressed the importance of statehood and representation for Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the region’s reclassification as a union territory.
“As soon as we got to know that elections are going to be held, we first decided to come here to Jammu and Kashmir because we wanted to give a message to the people of every state that for us, the representation of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and their statehood is the most important thing. In the history of India, after independence, many union territories have been converted into states, but there is only one example when statehood was taken away, and a union territory was created. This has never happened before, and we want to give this message that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is important, it is important for us, and it is important for the country,” Gandhi stated.
Upcoming Elections in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir are set to hold elections after a decade-long hiatus, with polling scheduled in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The vote counting will take place on October 4. These will be the first elections in the region since the abrogation of Article 370.
The electoral battle will unfold across 90 assembly constituencies, comprising 74 general, nine reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and seven for Scheduled Castes (SC). The total electorate stands at 87.09 lakh, including 44.46 lakh male, 42.62 lakh female, 169 transgender individuals, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters.
This election follows the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government in June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support from then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The Supreme Court directed the Union Government last December to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.
