Rahul Gandhi repeating BJP's promise of restoring J-K's statehood to take credit: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 23 (ANI): Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday that the BJP-led government has already promised to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, and Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is only repeating what the BJP had promised long back.
Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Singh said that the former is repeating the same thing in order to take credit by saying that it happened because he had put pressure on the government.
"Even when we had said that statehood (to J&K) will be given, he (Rahul Gandhi) is saying the same thing again and again so that when statehood is given, he will say that it happened because he had put pressure," Jitendra Singh told ANI in Jammu.
Addressing a rally in Poonch on Monday, Rahul Gandhi said, "You don't have a say in running your government. The orders are followed from Delhi. We wanted the statehood to return here before the elections, but we will definitely try that it does after the polls".
Earlier in the day, hitting back at Rahul Gandhi, Jitendra Singh told ANI, "You should ask him this question: when he goes to Srinagar and makes snowballs and plays with his sister, goes to Lal Chowk and eats ice cream, was it possible when there was a Congress government at the centre and the state? ..."
Singh added, "It was the result of their hatred that J&K had to bear the shadow of terrorism for 30 years... Today PM Modi has changed the atmosphere and normalised the situation... PM Modi has freed us from the politics that was going on for 30 years under the guise of hatred."
In another rally in Srinagar today, LoP Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that Narendra Modi was once referred to as having a "56-inch chest," but the INDIA bloc has changed that and it is no longer the same.
"He used to speak with pride and confidence, but now the INDIA bloc and Congress have changed Narendra Modi's psychology. He is no longer the same as before. For the past 10 years, wherever Narendra Modi goes, he spreads hatred," he added."Wherever the BJP had opened 'Nafrat ka bazar', we went there and opened 'Mohabbat ki dukaan'. We will continue to do this," Rahul said.
The first phase of three phase assembly elections was held on September 18. Notably, a voter turnout of 61.13 pc was registered in the first phase, which was held in 24 constituencies in seven districts.
Voting for the second and third phases in J-K will be held on September 25 and October 1 respectively. Votes will be counted on October 8. (ANI)