Reservation cannot be scrapped until there is untouchability: Kharge
Congress to launch agitation against BJP over derogatory remarks against Rahul
Jammu: Terming the remarks as attributed to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi as “untrue”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that reservation would continue until there is untouchability and a lack of social justice for various sections of the society in the country.
Kharge sidestepped a direct reply about the National Conference’s (NC) resolve to restore Article 370 and said their agenda is to restore “statehood”.
“Reservation cannot be scrapped until there is casteism in the Hindu religion. Until there is untouchability and lack of social justice, reservation will continue. It will continue till my death. I will tell my children to fight for it,” Kharge told a press conference here.
Responding to a question about Gandhi’s remarks on reservation, Kharge clarified, “He has not said so. He will not even say so. We will not even allow him to say (anything like this)”.
The Congress president emphasized that his party fully supports reservation.
“It will not go. We will fight for it,” he said.
Gandhi, who is in the US, told the students of Georgetown University that the Congress would think of scrapping reservations when “India is a fair place” but added that this is not the case right now.
When asked whether his party would support the National Conference’s resolve to bring back Article 370, Kharge said, “You know our agenda (on Article 370). You should go through our working committee resolutions. What we have said, we will go by that. Our one aim is to restore statehood. Other things later.”
Kharge also revealed the eight-point promises in their recently released manifesto, reiterating, “Our first agenda is the restoration of statehood. After ensuring that, other matters can come later.”
Regarding the elections, Kharge expressing optimism said, “The first phase of elections went well. We are hopeful that the NC and Congress will get maximum seats. In the upcoming phases too, the NC and Congress alliance will gain good seats and form a government that works for all sections of the people. We expect a majority in this election.”
Replying to another question whether it was surrender for the Congress to give maximum seats to the National Conference (NC), Kharge said, “No, it was neither a surrender nor a compulsion for the Congress. The alliance is nationwide. It can be seen in Parliament too.”
The Congress president further said that the alliance has been formed to uproot and remove the BJP from politics, to work together and jointly keep the RSS away from its influence and safeguard the state.
“We are working on this mission,” he added.
Replying to another question about the BJP’s allegation that the alliance is pursuing a Pakistani agenda, as the NC claims it will implement Article 370 once in power with the Congress, Kharge dismissed these allegations as false and a diversionary tactic.
“What Modi ji and Amit Shah are saying about the Congress having a Pakistani agenda is false. We have not gone to eat biryani. We did not hug him. They hugged him and now blame us,” he said.
The Congress president said Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about patriotism, but the suitable phrase here is ”love with us and marriage with Pakistan”.
“The BJP has ruled for ten years with a lieutenant governor here, but they have not fulfilled their promises. They keep bringing up Pakistan to divert attention from their unfulfilled promises,” he said.
Reacting sharply to Prime Minister Modi’s statement that they will restore statehood in Jammu and Kashmir, Kharge said, “Why have you (PM) not done it? Why are they only talking about it during elections? It was in their hands. They had the power, but they did nothing.”
When asked whether Gandhi is pitching locals against outsiders during campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress president dismissed the accusation as false.
“It is a lie. He does not say local and non-local. But who is taking contracts here? Are people from outside taking contracts? Who takes contracts of sand, mining and liquor? Those who have a habit of telling lies will always spread falsehoods,” he said.
Referring to Gandhi’s slogan of ‘Bharat Jodo’, Kharge said, “His slogan is to take everyone together. They are the ones who run the shops of hate. RSS and BJP people always spread lies.”
Kharge also criticized Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for repeatedly targeting the Gandhi and Abdullah families on withdrawing reservation.
“These are things that don’t exist on the ground. The BJP manufactures such threats and browbeats the public. They say that three families destroyed J&K. You two have destroyed India for the past ten years,” he said.
On the issue of rehabilitating the Kashmiri Pandits, Kharge said, “We will implement the rehabilitation program of Manmohan Singh ji for the displaced community. We have promised this in our manifesto and we will fulfill it.”
Responding to the BJP’s criticism that Gandhi is on a leisure trip to America when he should be in Jammu and Kashmir for the elections, Kharge dismissed the claim.
“It is not the first time they are saying this about Rahul ji. Where is the PM going? The PM does not have the courage to go to Manipur, where rapes are happening and houses are being destroyed. Manipur is closer to us than America. Please tell this to the PM and then talk about nationalism,” he said.
Asserting that they would not be cowed down by the RSS-BJP’s “poisonous mindset”, Kharge said his party would launch an agitation against threats to Rahul Gandhi.
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s failure to take action against BJP leaders who used derogatory remarks against Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.
“BJP, RSS leaders, including MLAs and MPs, talk about chopping off the tongues of our leaders. Rahul Gandhi is under attack for speaking the truth and an atmosphere of hate is created against him like (it was done against his grandmother) Indira Gandhi,” Kharge said at a press conference in Jammu.
“Such provocative speeches by the BJP and the RSS are ignored by the prime minister, who has failed to rein in these leaders and take action against them because he is frightened of them,” Kharge said.
“If someone is trying to frighten the Congress, we will not be cowed down. Those who are trying to frighten us were sitting at home during the freedom struggle. Our people fought and gave their lives. The Gandhi family has a history of sacrifice, tell the people what your contribution was,” he said.
The Congress leader said Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi gave their lives for the nation and “they (RSS-BJP) are talking about chopping off the tongues of our leaders, dubbing Rahul as a terrorist and anti-national”.
“We will not tolerate this, we will launch an agitation against this,” Kharge said.
He said the Congress would tell the people about the RSS-BJP’s poisonous mindset. “It is imperative to remove them and save Jammu and Kashmir. It is our biggest priority.”
Kharge also accused the BJP of spreading lies, especially during elections.
“All their promises have turned into jumlas while we are firm in our decision to implement all our promises,” the Congress president said.
Highlighting the party’s poll promises to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Congress would continue its efforts for the restoration of statehood, providing good healthcare facilities, rightful reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in accordance with the package announced by the Manmohan Singh-led government.
He also questioned the BJP’s promise to provide five lakh jobs to unemployed youngsters in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP failed to provide employment during its 10-year rule and it is now trying to mislead people with false promises, Kharge alleged.
“The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is 35 per cent. You had enough time during the past 10 years and have given so many powers to the lieutenant governor. If you had tried, it would have been done in just a month,” he said, assuring youngsters that the Congress would provide one lakh jobs when its alliance government with the National Conference assumed power.
Kharge also questioned the prime minister for taking credit for the construction of railway and road networks and said the BJP’s claims of peace, prosperity and development during his time were the biggest lies.
“Work on railway and highway projects started under the Congress. They (BJP leaders) should tell what new things they have done (in Jammu and Kashmir,” Kharge said.
He also questioned the BJP’s claims of terrorism being eliminated.
“They should tell why terror acts are happening in other places (earlier declared peaceful). ‘Haathi ke daant khaane ke aur dikhaane ke aur’. Modi and (home minister Amit) Shah are creating jumlas and propagating those to seek votes,” Kharge charged.
The Congress has always thought of the welfare of the poor and will continue to work for their upliftment, he added.
