Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 6: Senior leader of All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Incharge of the Party for J&K Affairs, Rajni Patil today said that ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ are not different but after naming of opposition alliance as INDIA, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership is feeling insecure and that is why they have given air to this useless controversy.
“India and Bharat is same thing and in our Constitution also, India has been mentioned as Bharat, so there is no logic to fight on this issue. In fact, the word ‘Bharat’ has a great significance for Congress which had given the slogan of ‘Angrezon Bharat Choro’ before independence of the country and last year, our leader Rahul Gandhi had also organized ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ throughout the country,” Rajni Patil said while speaking to media persons outside Jammu Airport as she arrived here today to lead the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ Anniversary function tomorrow.
The AICC leader said that for Congress, the controversy over ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ is illogical but as BJP leadership is feeling insecure after INDIA alliance, they are making issue of a non-issue.
On special session of the parliament called by the Government, Patil said the issue was discussed threadbare in Congress Parliamentary Committee meeting yesterday and it was decided that the party will join the session but we want to know what is the agenda of this special session and that is why Congress president Sonia Gandhi today wrote to Prime Minister seeking details of the agenda of the special parliament session.
Reacting on a question regarding reservation of the judgment of Supreme Court on Article 370 case, the senior Congress leader said they have to wait and watch only as it is a grave issue.
“NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and leaders of other local parties from J&K participated in the meeting of opposition alliance INDIA and the alliance will fight 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly. Against every candidate of BJP, one candidate will be fielded,” she said when asked about India alliance in J&K for 2024 LS elections.
On Sarore Toll Plaza and installation of smart meters in J&K, Patil said people are being looted through smart electricity meters and public are being forced to pay toll for the road which is completely damaged. The Party strongly opposes this and our youth leaders are already on roads against these two issues, she added.
Replying on a question regarding Congress Party’s boycott of a meeting on One Nation-One Election, the AICC leader said that the present Leader of Opposition has been ignored while framing the committee over the issue while former LoP Ghulam Nabi Azad has been given place in the committee and that is the reason, the Party leadership has decided to boycott this meeting.
Earlier, rousing reception was accorded to Rajni Patil on arrival in Jammu. She arrived here today for the first time after her induction into the CWC, highest policy making body of the party. She was accompanied by AICC Co- Incharge J&K, Manoj Yadav (Joint Secretary AICC).
She was received at the airport by a large number of Congress & Youth Congress workers and senior leaders led by JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani along with working president Raman Bhalla, former Deputy CM Tara Chand, Yogesh Sawhney, Balwan Singh, Manmohan Singh, Vinod Sharma, Rajnish Sharma, Pranav Shagotra and others.
Soon after her arrival, she took stock of the preparations with PCC leadership for the Yatra anniversary celebrations tomorrow. She was apprised that the Yatra shall be taken out from Miran Sahib towards Airport Road.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
