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Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to Jammu & Kashmir, was revoked by the BJP-led central government in August 2019.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the rally. (PTI photo)
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday refuted Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the Congress intends to restore Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, saying the controversial provision was repealed by Parliament.
He accused the BJP of keeping the issue of Article 370 alive only to create division in society.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of blaming the Congress and its senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
“Amit Shah, in the poll rally, accused the Congress of spreading lies. (But) He (himself) said that the Congress wants to restore article 370 (in J&K). Tell me, who said it and when? You are racking up the problem. If (the resolution for repeal Article 370) has been approved in Parliament, why are you fussing again? It means you want to keep this issue alive, go to Kashmir and say it. Kharge said.
Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to Jammu & Kashmir, was abrogated by the BJP-led central government in August 2019.
The Congress is aligned with the National Conference, which leads the J&K government. Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution asking the Center to hold talks with its elected representatives to restore the state’s special status.
Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Congress president said that one of the BJP leaders had said ‘batenge toh tegenge’ (we will die if we divide) and questioned the reason for making the slogan.
“Why (give such a slogan)? The country is united. Congress worked to keep the country united. (To maintain the unity of the country) Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Congress is doing this (sacrifice), but you are not fighting for the unity of the country, or freedom or the poor,” Kharge said, attacking the BJP.
He asserted that it was the Congress that made the reservation in the Constitution because the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar worked to approve quotas for SC/ST in employment and education.
“But they (BJP) are still solving the (reservation) issue,” Kharge said.
He claimed that the BJP was against the political figures of the country like Nehru, Ambedkar, Vallabhbhai Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose.
“They (BJP) now say Babasaheb wanted to do this, but Jawaharlal Nehru did this. Vallabhbahi Patel said this and Bose said that. When they were alive, you went against the Constitution. You didn’t even keep the Indian flag in your office.
“You are not ready to receive the Ashok Chakra (center in the middle of the tricolor) and you want to have a Constitution based on Manu (Manusmriti, an ancient religious text) and now you remember the Constitution,” he stressed.
The AICC president asserted that the Congress wants to keep the country united and is ready to make any sacrifice.
Only 5 percent of the people in the country have 62 percent of the wealth and 50 percent of the people have only 3 percent of the wealth, he said.
“Instead of reducing this disparity, Modiji supported his friends by selling public sector units. Maximum supply of drugs was done at the port given to Adani. In October, 400 kg of cocaine was seized. In February, 4,000 kg of charas was seized. Illegal goods were brought coming in which is ruining (the youth in) Pune, Bengaluru, Punjab,” Kharge said.
Asked how the Congress and the opposition MVA would mobilize finances to finance the populist plans promised in their manifesto if they come to power in Maharashtra, he said, “Give me power, we will give you a budget. We work like a budget.” “We don’t believe in ‘khoke’ (money box), but ‘doke’ (brain). We have brains and they have khoke,” the Congress leader said.
The Congress government has successfully implemented pre-poll assurances in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, Kharge said.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from the feed of syndicated news agency – PTI)
