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‘While Modi in power, I will live and fight’: Kharge, 83, after illness in J&K
The 83-year-old Congress leader recovered from a short dizzy spell to continue his public address in the Kathua district
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who fell ill while addressing a poll campaign rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Sunday, 29 September, said that he won't die till Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "removed" from power.
While addressing a huge gathering on the last day of the campaign for the third and final phase of the state assembly elections, he said:
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We will fight to restore statehood. I am 83 years old, I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive until Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed from power.
As Kharge felt dizzy on stage, several party leaders rushed to support him.
Claiming that the Central government never wanted to conduct elections in J&K, Kharge said:
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They would have done it within a couple of years if they wanted to. They started preparing for elections after the Supreme Court's order. They did not want elections. They wanted to operate a remote-controlled government through the Lt Governor.
Alleging that prime minister Modi did not give anything to the country's youth in the last 10 years, Kharge said:
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Can you believe in a person who cannot bring back your prosperity in 10 years? If a BJP leader comes in front of you, ask them if they brought prosperity or not.
After the campaign rally, the Congress president will undergo a preliminary medical examination to ascertain the reason for his dizziness.
The National Conference and the Indian National Congress are fighting the J&K assembly polls in an alliance against the BJP. According to the terms of the agreement between the two parties, the NC has fielded candidates for 52 constituencies and the Congress for 31.
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The two alliance partners have left two seats uncontested, one in the Kashmir Valley for the CPI-M and the other in the Jammu division for the Panthers Party.
Both the Congress and the NC have fielded candidates for five seats in Sopore, Nagrota, Kishtwar, Doda and Banihal. The two parties are poised for a friendly contest in these five seats.
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Speaking at Jasrota today, Kharge said:
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Modi-ji is coming to Jammu and Kashmir and shedding false tears for the future of the youth. The truth is that in the last 10 years the youth of the entire country has been pushed into darkness for which Modi-ji himself is responsible.
The unemployment figures have just come out. The highest unemployment in 45 years is the result of Modi-ji.
He discussed specific instances too, referring to the appointment of only citizens from other parts of India to vacant posts at Jammu's AIIMS branch and also rued the large proportion of government jobs where there had been no hires to serve the union territory:
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Modi and Shah are not thinking of providing employment but only giving speeches, taking photographs and cutting ribbons. [Meanwhile] 65% of the posts in government departments in Jammu and Kashmir are vacant. The jobs here are being given to outsiders on contractual and daily wages basis. I have received information that even in AIIMS Jammu, people from Jammu did not get jobs.
Two phases of the three-phased J&K assembly polls were conducted on 18 September and 25 September, respectively. Voting for the third and final phase is scheduled for 1 October.
The counting of votes is scheduled for 8 October.
Around 40 assembly seats, including 11 in Jammu, 6 in Kathua, 3 in Samba and 4 in Udhampur districts of the Jammu division, will go to the polls on 1 October. In the two districts of Baramulla and Kupwara in the Valley, 16 assembly constituencies will vote.
Campaigning for the third phase will end at 6 p.m. today, Sunday, 29 September.
With IANS inputs
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