SRINAGAR: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that since the Jammu and Kashmir had become a UT, locals were not being given employment opportunities and better means to earn a living.
“The locals are not getting any benefit but the outsiders are. All small and big contracts as well as positions in government are being given to the outsiders. This is the reason that before the Assembly elections, statehood should have been granted. We still want that the reins of the state should be given to its people,” he said.
Sharing his personal relation with J&K, he said, “This is not a political but a family relation. So you should keep it in your mind that I am your soldier in Delhi. You just need to give orders to me,” he said. The MP also said he would ask the senior leadership to allocate some Assembly tickets to ground workers as well. “Senior leaders are given tickets during elections but I want that our workers should also get opportunity to contest the elections,” he said.
While interacting with mediapersons in Srinagar, Rahul said, “It is our priority in the Congress party and INDIA bloc to restore statehood in J&K as soon as possible.”
“We had expected that this would be done prior to the elections, but elections have been declared. It is a step forward, and we are hoping that statehood will be restored as soon as possible and the people of J&K will be given their rights,” he said.
