The last phase of the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra started in the Kashmir valley, with Rahul Gandhi leading the march from Anantnag’s Qazigund on January 27.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also joined the Yatra in Qazigund.
“The Bharat Jodo Yatra is not aimed at improving the image of Rahul Gandhi but for improving the situation in the country,” Abdullah said on his reason to join the Yatra.
Abdullah also said Rahul Gandhi started this Yatra out of concern over attempts to create communal tensions and target minorities in the country.
“This government might be making friends with Arab countries, but the fact remains that there is no representative in this government from the largest minority of the country,” Abdullah said.
Commenting on veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s comment on questioning the surgical strikes, Abdullah said, “It’s the Congress party’s internal matter. And as far as we are concerned, we have never questioned the armed forces and never will.”
On the abrogation of Article 370, Abdullah said, “We will fight the case for the restoration of Article 370 in the court. The way the government is dragging its feet on the hearing of the petition tells us that our case is very strong.”
On the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, he said it had been eight years. “The last assembly elections were held in 2014. This has been the longest period between the two elections in Jammu and Kashmir. It was not the case even at the peak of militancy,” he said.