SOPORE: Taking credit for finishing militancy and ushering peace in Kashmir during the time Congress was part of a coalition government, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday took a dig at the PDP-BJP combine blaming them for revival of militancy.
PDP fooled the people of Kashmir by forming the government with a party that was untouchable for it during the election time, Rahul said, adding
PDP sought votes from people to keep BJP at bay but after elections joined hands with the party it once accused of being anti-people and anti-Kashmir, Gandhi told reporters outside Dak Bungalow Sopore.
Congress’s vice-president arrived in Jammu and Kashmir for a three day visit to areas along the border with Pakistan where violence has touched alarming levels this year.
Rahul asserted that both parties care a fig for the people and were interested in power rather than allaying the sufferings of the people. Why does not the PDP impress upon New Delhi to release the flood package and why does not it react when Modi seems in no mood to declare any financial package for Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
Congress party vice president said that militancy in Kashmir is on the rise and the PDP-BJP government has failed to tackle it. It was Congress that had eliminated militancy in Kashmir but during BJP-PDP government, militancy is its peak and the present government is not bothered to deal effectively with the militants, he said.
He credited the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of “slowly ushering in peace and for finishing militancy”.
Earlier Gandhi addressed the Saffron Growers at Doosu in Pampore.
In his address, Congress leader slammed BJP government at Centre and said not only in J&K farmers were suffering across India. “This (BJP) government is of two three businessmen,” he said.
Rahul said the UPA government not only helped Saffron growers financially but “we supported you by heart”. “We want more and more help should be provided to you,” he said.
Rahul said he considers J&K as his home. “My ancestors are from here,” he said, adding: “I feel happy whenever I come here but I also feel said because over the years people here faced lot of hardships.”
Get Flood Package from Centre
SOPORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces packages wherever he goes but all this is just “packaging” and there is no package, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today quipped as he asked Jammu and Kashmir government to get the financial aid announced by the Centre during the last year’s flooding in the state.
“Last year, flood hit the state and people were effected. There was a talk of huge package (from the Centre) for the state. The Prime Minister talks about packages in Jammu and Kashmir, in Bihar and where ever he goes. But all this is just packaging and there is no package.
“I want to tell the Chief Minister (Mufti Sayeed) that you have a government here, get the package from the Centre,” Gandhi said addressing party workers convention here.
Gandhi said it is the responsibility of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed by the devastating floods in September last year.
Sopore Sealed Off For Rahul Visit
Sopore: An undeclared curfew was imposed on the apple town Thursday as Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi arrived here on a days visit, sparking resentment among a large section of residents who were confined to their homes.
The virtual transformation of the township into a fortress with the stationing of around 20, 000 army and paramilitary forces on roads and key points. The frustration and inconvenience caused by Rahuls visit made people plead for discontinuing VVIP visits to the township.
Gandhi later addressed Congress workers at heavily guarded Dak Bungalow.
Residents alleged that they were barred from entering their homes, public transport routes altered and patients were inconvenienced.
Muneer Ahmed who was accompanied by his wife and child, was among a hundreds of locals who were stopped a few kilometers from their homes. ”Our house is just on the other side of Dak Bungalow,” a woman was telling the policemen on security duty, but to no avail. All the lanes in the town were blocked by Government forces. The patients, attendants, school children and common people also faced inconvenience due to repeated checking in the town and outskirts. ”We were halted for more than an hour and were not allowed to proceed towards the hospital, an attendant accompanying a female patient told CNS.
The routes of local minibuses and school cabs had been diverted or curtailed due to VIP movement.
Government should ensure that the common people did not face any harassment due to security arrangements whenever VVIPs visit the town next time. The security personnel troubled the common people a lot. There was a curfew-like situation in the town, said a group of people and appealed VVIPs not to visit the town in future.
A police official said that security arrangements were foolproof as the authorities did not want to take any chances. (CNS)
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