Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wants restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the country will never accept such a move. His remarks came on a day Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, told a press conference in Srinagar that restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was the priority of the Congress and the India Bloc. Gandhi said it was the aim of the Congress that the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh get back their democratic rights.
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In 2019, the Centre had revoked Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the then state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. When asked for comment on the sidelines of the ‘Shilp Didi Mahotsav’ at Delhi Haat, Textiles Minister Singh said it is on Rahul Gandhi’s mind. He is thinking of restoring Article 370 in Kashmir, but the country will never accept it. He said Rahul Gandhi is frustrated and disappointed. He could not reveal his caste and religion but talks about the backward in political language.
Taking a dig at Gandhi, the senior BJP leader said the Congress leader looked tired ever since he was asked about his “religion and caste”. The Congress has mostly stuck to its demand for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but has not taken a clear stand on scrapping its special rights. Taking a dig at Gandhi’s Jammu and Kashmir visit, BJP general secretary and organisational in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Tarun Chugh on Wednesday asked the Congress leader to clarify his party’s stand on Article 370 and 35A.
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During the ‘Shilp Didi Mahotsav’, a fortnight-long marketing event dedicated to the Shilp Didi programme, Singh said the festival provides a unique platform for women artisans to expand their market reach and attract new customers for their handicraft creations. He interacted with the artisans to understand their challenges and encouraged them to further develop entrepreneurship and use social media in their economic journey.
