Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday strongly defended the decision of his party to form a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kharge said that the decision to stitch an alliance with the National Conference was taken to protect the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to stop the BJP from attaining power through its proxies.
Kharge gave this statement after the BJP stepped up its attack on the Congress for entering into alliance with the National Conference- the party that promises restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Defending his party's decision to form a pre-poll alliance with the NC, he emphasized that the coalition formed to oppose the BJP was a necessity, not out of compulsion or surrender.
Interacting with media persons at Jammu, Kharge said "This alliance was vital to defeat the BJP and protect the country's integrity from their misdeeds, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir".
Highlighting the plight of Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge said, "Our priority is to defeat the BJP and save the country from their anti-poor policies. The BJP has been in power for over a decade in Jammu and Kashmir, yet they have failed to deliver on their promises. We are jointly fighting elections to stop BJP".
BJP indulged in deceitful tactics
Congress president cautioned the people of Jammu and Kashmir against the deceitful tactics of the BJP, accusing the ruling party of diverting attention away from their failure to address the real issues plaguing the region.
Kharge criticized the BJP for exploiting distractions, especially citing Pakistan's Defence Minister's comments on Article 370 as a smokescreen to conceal their ineffectiveness in governance.
"Except for promises BJP has done nothing for the people of Jammu and Kashmir for 10 long years. Now during elections, BJP is shamelessly trying to rake up irrelevant issues to hide its failures", Kharge said.
"Instead of focusing on the problems faced by the people, such as unemployment, lack of development, and the delay in restoring statehood, the BJP is trying to mislead the public with irrelevant issues," Kharge stated.
Why BJP delay the restoration of statehood?
He further accused the BJP of delaying the restoration of statehood, despite having the power to do so, and pointed out that the ruling party has allowed outsiders to dominate key sectors like mining and liquor contracts.
Kharge questioned, "Why has the BJP delayed restoring statehood when they hold all the power? The people of J&K deserve better governance, and the BJP has failed to deliver."
Elaborating on Congress' plans, Kharge declared the party's "seven guarantees" to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The first and most important promise is the restoration of statehood. Congress will leave no stone unturned in ensuring this".
"The second is the right to health for every family, with Rs 25 lakh health insurance, affordable healthcare, mobile clinics at the tehsil level, and super-specialty hospitals in every district," he said.
