New Delhi. Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent “poll rhetoric” that “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) will be part of Jammu and Kashmir” and asked when it will have full power for 10 years. If there was a majority government then who stopped it from taking this step?
Pilot also said that he sees Rahul Gandhi as a leader who will lead the country in the future and when the next Lok Sabha elections are held, the entire opposition will stand united behind him. The Congress general secretary, who is campaigning for the assembly elections, also expressed confidence that his party can break all previous records in Haryana and get more seats than ever before.
Pilot said in an interview to ‘PTI-Bhasha’ that Congress can get more than two-thirds majority in Haryana. He claimed that the top leadership of BJP is not showing interest in election campaign despite sensing the ground reality. He said that despite the efforts of many forces to create confusion in the Kashmir Valley and Jammu, the collective campaign of Congress-National Conference will ensure that they form the government with an easy majority.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said last week that PoK will become a part of Jammu and Kashmir after BJP returns to power. When asked about this, Pilot said, “I am surprised that the Chief Minister of a state is making this statement right during the elections. He has been in power for the last 10 years. Let me remind you that for the first time, Parliament unanimously passed a resolution to withdraw PoK in 1994 and there was a Congress government at that time. We were in power and we had made this commitment through Parliament.” He said, “BJP has been in power for 10 years, it had absolute majority for 10 years, who stopped them from taking this step?”
When asked about BJP targeting Congress on Article 370 and Congress’s claim of restoring the special status of the state, the former Union Minister said, “I think all these are election speeches and Congress’s stand is very clear.” That is, as soon as we get the mandate and form a coalition government, the first thing we will do is restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.” Pilot said, “Never before in the history of our country has a state been made a Union Territory by weakening it. “Congress has clearly said that its top priority will be to restore statehood, this is directly related to the self-respect and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” He said that after the historic ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and good election results for the Congress, Rahul Gandhi has targeted the Center for the BJP-led government’s “failure on all fronts”.
When asked about the impact of Gandhi assuming the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he said, “Rahul Gandhi has led from the front as the Leader of the Opposition (in the Lok Sabha). He is asking relevant questions to which the government has no answer. He is the Leader of Opposition not only for Congress but for the entire opposition.” He said, “We definitely see him as a leader who will lead the country and when the next elections are held, the people of India and the entire opposition will stand in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi.” Assembly elections are being held in three phases in Jammu and Kashmir. In the first phase, voting was held for 24 seats on September 18. In the second phase, voting was held for 26 seats on September 25 and in the third and final phase of voting, voting for 40 seats will be held on October 1. Voting for Haryana Assembly elections will be held on October 5. Counting of votes for Jammu Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections will take place on October 8.