Leaders of Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) regional parties, including the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday heaped praise on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his Bharat Jodo Yatra initiative, while several other Opposition leaders sounded hopeful about a joint front against the BJP.
Former J&K Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) and Omar Abdullah (NC) shared the stage with Mr. Gandhi as his 135-day-long yatra saw a grand finale at the Sher-i-Kashmir stadium. Both the leaders expressed hope that Mr. Gandhi would be able to chart an ideological course correction for J&K that was reduced to a Union Territory (UT) after the removal of its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.
Ms. Mufti said, “Rahul, you said you’ve come to Kashmir, your home. It’s your home. I hope what the Godse ideology snatched from J&K, from this nation will be restored. Gandhiji said he can see a ray of hope in J&K. Today, the nation can see a ray of hope in Rahul Gandhi.”
Mr. Abdullah said, “The nation needed this. The yatra has proven that there are people... who want harmony and want to live in peace with each other, something which the BJP can’t give.”
Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja said there was now a need to carry forward the message of the yatra, with Opposition parties coming together to take on the BJP.
However, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the yatra was not for winning elections but to counter hate.
“The yatra was not for winning elections but against hate. BJP people are spreading hate in the country. Rahul Gandhi has proven that he can unite the country from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir on issues like unemployment and inflation,” Mr. Kharge said.
Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “Earlier I wondered whether people will come out for the long march. But they came out everywhere. They came out because people of the country have a spirit for unity”.
