Who in Congress has said Article 370 will be restored? Amit Shah spreading lies: Mallikarjun Kharge

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All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday contested Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that his party intends to reinstate Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, and pointed out the contentious provision was repealed by Parliament.

According to news agency PTI, Kharge accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of keeping the Article 370 issue alive merely to create divisions in society.

Addressing a press conference in Pune, Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abusing the Congress and its senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

"Amit Shah, in his poll rallies, accuses the Congress of spreading lies. [But] He [himself] is saying the Congress wants to bring back Article 370 [in J&K]. Tell me, who said that and when? You are raking up an issue. If it [resolution to repeal Article 370] had been already passed in Parliament, why are you raking it up again? It means you want to keep the issue alive to divide. If you want to say this, go to Kashmir and say it. Elections are over in Kashmir," Kharge slammed the BJP.

Article 370 of the Constitution, which provided special status to Jammu & Kashmir, was nullified by the BJP-led central government in August 2019.

The Congress is aligned with the National Conference, which heads the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution asking the Centre to hold talks with elected representatives for restoration of the erstwhile state's special status.

'Congress wants to keep country united, ready to make any sacrifice for it'

Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statements, the Congress President said, "One of the BJP leaders is saying 'batenge toh katenge (we will perish if we are divided)'. Why [give such a slogan]? The country is united. The Congress worked to keep the country united. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for [preserving the country's unity]. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. The Congress did this [sacrifices], but you neither fought for the country's unity, nor its independence or the poor," Kharge hit out at the BJP.

According to PTI, he also pointed out that it was the Congress which made provision for reservation in the Constitution as first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar worked to approve the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs) in jobs and education.

"But they [BJP] are still raking up the [reservation] issue," Kharge remarked, further claiming that the BJP is pitting the country's towering political figures such as Nehru, Ambedkar, Vallabhbhai Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose against each other.

"They [BJP] now say Babasaheb wanted to do this, but Jawaharlal Nehru did this. Vallabhbahi Patel said this and Bose said that. When they were alive, you were against the Constitution. You did not even keep the Indian flag in your office. You were not ready to accept the Ashok Chakra and you wanted to have a Constitution on the basis of Manu, and now you remember the Constitution," said Kharge.

The AICC president asserted that the Congress wants to keep the country united and was ready to make any sacrifice for it.

He also claimed that only 5 per cent of people in the country hold 62 per cent wealth while 50 per cent of the population has only 3 per cent wealth.

"Instead of reducing this disparity, Modiji is encouraging his friends by selling public sector units. The maximum drug supply is taking place at the port given to Adani. In October, 400 kg cocaine was seized. In February, 4,000 kg charas was seized. Illegal things are being brought in which are destroying (youths in) Pune, Bengaluru, Punjab," Kharge averred.

Asked how the Congress and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will mobilise finances to fund populist schemes promised in their manifestos if they come to power in Maharashtra, he remarked, "Give us power, we will give you a budget. We work as per the budget. We do not believe in 'khoke (boxes of money),' but 'doke (brain)'. We have brains and they have khoke."

Kharge also claimed that the Congress governments have successfully implemented pre-polls guarantees in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

(With PTI inputs)