Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Criticizes Congress-National Conference Alliance in Jammu and Kashmir
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 24: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has accused the Congress of supporting ‘terrorism’ and ‘separatism’ following its alliance with the National Conference for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference’s manifesto includes a proposal for dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Dhami stated, ‘There is an upcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir. In that election, the Congress party and the National Conference Party allied. It is cheating with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, in a way. They have been exposed before the public of Kashmir.’
He further added, ‘The Congress party has been exposed before the country. They are supporting terrorism, separatism and are opposing reservation … for the Congress party and its allies, the country is later, the party is first.’
During a press conference on August 24, Dhami posed several questions to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the alliance, asking, ‘Does Congress support promoting separatism again by talking to Pakistan instead of the youth of Kashmir?’
Dhami also questioned, ‘I want to ask Rahul Gandhi whether Congress supports the National Conference’s promise of a ‘separate flag’? Do they want to push Kashmir back into the era of terrorism-separatism?’
The last date for filing nomination papers is August 27. Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with results announced on October 4.
The Congress and the National Conference have announced a pre-poll alliance and have reached a consensus on most of the seats. In the previous Lok Sabha elections, the National Conference won two seats, while Congress did not win any.
Twenty-four Assembly seats will go to polls in the first phase on September 18, including Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D H Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, Pahalgam, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban, and Banihal. A total of 90 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The last assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir was held in 2014. The counting will take place on October 4.
Doubts Revealed
Uttarakhand -: Uttarakhand is a state in northern India, known for its beautiful mountains and the famous pilgrimage sites like Kedarnath and Badrinath.
CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister, who is the head of the government in an Indian state, similar to a principal in a school but for the whole state.
Pushkar Singh Dhami -: Pushkar Singh Dhami is the current Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, which means he is the leader of the state government there.
Congress -: Congress is one of the major political parties in India. It has been around for a long time and has had many leaders, including famous ones like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
National Conference -: National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, another state in India. They focus on issues specific to that region.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India, known for its beautiful landscapes and also for some political issues and conflicts.
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a leader in the Congress party and comes from a family of famous Indian politicians, including his grandmother Indira Gandhi and great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru.
separate flag -: A ‘separate flag’ means having a different flag for a specific region or state, which can be a sign of wanting more independence or special status.
dialogue with Pakistan -: Dialogue with Pakistan means having talks or discussions with Pakistan, a neighboring country of India, to solve issues or improve relations.
Assembly elections -: Assembly elections are when people in a state vote to choose their leaders who will make decisions and laws for that state.
phases -: Phases mean that the elections will happen in parts, on different days, instead of all at once. This helps manage the voting process better.