Formed coalition govt in Jammu & Kashmir to keep communal forces at bay: Sonia Gandhi

Talking about the recent floods that hit the state, Sonia said, “The way people helped each other has added to your respect in my heart… The Congress contributed to help you in whatever way possible… At this time of sadness and worry, I don’t feel like talking politics. But why is the relief work so slow here?”

She then reminded people of the time an earthquake hit Kashmir nine years ago and how the Azad government and the UPA worked day and night to provide relief. “But what is happening today? Today, when the BJP is ruling at the Centre, it seems that they have nothing to do with your miseries. Even the money that was sought (for relief) wasn’t given,” she said.

Hitting out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, Sonia said that dreaming is easy but running a country where there are no communal or personal biases is hard. “This is why to keep communal forces away from J&K and to defeat them, we formed coalition governments here,” she said.

She admitted that due to coalition compulsions, there were times when the Congress was not able do things the way it wanted. “But we tried our best to provide equal development in all three regions of the state,’’ she said. “My request is that you should give every vote to make Congress candidates win to safeguard the secular principals in J&K.”

Azad, meanwhile, was more direct in his attack. “Those people who say they will fight the BJP are lying. In reality, every regional party of Kashmir is in a secret pact with the BJP. If anybody can fight the BJP, it is us,’’ he said. “The NC and PDP are limited to Srinagar. If you want to fight the BJP, vote for Congress.”

Soz said, “The BJP has made an RSS pracharak the PM. It is one man’s government. This one man created a communal divide.”

Though the crowd was chanting the name of Congress’s local candidate in Bandipore, Usman Majeed, he was missing from the rally. Majeed joined the Congress a few years ago and a majority of people at the rally were his supporters. “He (Majeed) gave cricket kits to two teams in our village,’’ said Asif Ali (21) of Dachigam village.