Srinagar: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge began their two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday to engage with party workers and receive feedback regarding grassroots-level preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.
The leaders reached Srinagar on Thursday, where they interacted with party workers at the Hotel Radisson Collection in the Rajbagh area of the city. These interactions are part of the Congress leadership’s strategy to assess the current state of the party’s organisation and to get direct input from the ground.
Rahul Gandhi’s message of ‘love and unity’
While addressing the gathering, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi delivered a message of love, unity and support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “I want to say to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir – We have to open a ‘shop of love in the market of hatred’. Together we will defeat hatred with love,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He praised Congress workers in the region for their resilience and loyalty to the party’s ideology. “You are a Congress worker – a lion. You all are a family. Wherever you need us, just place an order. We will be there,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the dedication of Congress workers in Jammu and Kashmir. “If anyone has worked fearlessly in Jammu and Kashmir, he is a Congress worker. I know what you have to endure. Even then you fight for the ideology of Congress. You have devoted your entire life to protecting the ideology of Congress,” he added.
He further asserted that the INDIA alliance has shattered the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that Congress’ ideology has made significant inroads. “The ideology of Congress and INDIA, love and unity have broken the self-confidence of PM Narendra Modi,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Speaking about his vision for the region, Rahul Gandhi said, “My aim is to eradicate the pain and fear in the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The fear in which you live, the suffering that you endure, Kharge ji, I, and the entire Congress party want to eradicate it.”
Reflecting on the importance of the region, he emphasised the decision to prioritise Jammu and Kashmir. “When elections were announced in different states of the country, I met Kharge ji. Then we decided that we should first go to Jammu and Kashmir because we want to give a message to the people of the country that the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is most important for us.”
Gandhi also touched upon the political restructuring of the region, saying, “This is the first time in the history of India after independence that a state has been made a union territory.”
What Mallikarjun Kharge said
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge reinforced Gandhi’s statements by highlighting the efforts made by the Congress party to stay connected with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the party’s ongoing commitment, Kharge said, “After the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Rahul Gandhi ji carried out the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ from Manipur to Maharashtra.”
Kharge praised Rahul Gandhi as a leader who goes beyond political boundaries to understand the challenges faced by the people of various regions. He contrasted Gandhi’s approach with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “Rahul Gandhi is the only leader in India who went to Manipur, understood the pain of the people there, and met them. Narendra Modi has not visited Manipur till date because he is afraid.”
Highlighting Gandhi’s connection with Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge said, “Rahul Gandhi has clearly said that I have a blood relation with Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, we expect that Jammu and Kashmir will be with us in the coming elections.”
Kharge said, “BJP is always afraid of Congress, so all of you should not support those who are afraid,” he said.
Kharge assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that Congress would stand by them. “The Congress party is always with you. We have to protect your rights, self-respect, and the country,” Kharge said.