Jammu, September 17 : Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday dismissed Congress’s claim to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as a “fake narrative,” noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already promised statehood will be restored after the elections.
“The Congress manifesto carries no credibility and people will not take it seriously. They have started demanding statehood, which is a fake narrative because the PM has already said that statehood would be restored after the elections. The Congress and the National Conference think they will create a false narrative that the statehood is restored because of their pressure. But that is not going to work,” Singh told ANI.
Earlier on Monday, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the Congress-National Conference alliance will restore the right of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Jammu and Kashmir was a state whose rights were taken away, its statehood was taken away, it was made a Union Territory and it must get back this right. We will get back this right of Jammu and Kashmir,” Khera told ANI.
On September 7, Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged the claim of the Congress and National Conference that their alliance would restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that only the central government and Prime Minister Modi have that authority.
“Congress and National Conference are saying they will restore statehood. Tell me who can give it? It is only the Central government, PM Modi who can give it. So stop fooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We have said that at an appropriate time after the elections, we will give statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We have said this in Parliament… Rahul Gandhi should stop misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said.
Assembly polls are being held in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases. The first phase of voting will be held on September 18, the second on September 25 and the third on November 1. Votes will be counted on October 8. (ANI)
