Giriraj Singh Slams Rahul Gandhi Over Article 370 Restoration Remarks

Union Minister Giriraj Singh critiqued Rahul Gandhi's statement on restoring Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, calling him 'frustrated and demoralised.' Meanwhile, Gandhi emphasized that the representation and statehood of Jammu and Kashmir remain paramount to the Congress party.

Reacting to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's statement on restoring Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday described the Congress leader as 'frustrated and demoralised.' Singh accused Gandhi of trying to provoke the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

'Rahul Gandhi has this thinking - to provoke the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He says that they (Congress) will restore Article 370 but the country won't accept that. Rahul Gandhi is frustrated and demoralised. He couldn't tell about his caste and religion but he talks about backwards in a political language,' Giriraj Singh told ANI.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, along with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, held a meeting with party workers in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the gathering, Gandhi emphasized the importance of representation and statehood for the region.

'You are not workers; you are family. As soon as we knew elections were coming, we first decided to come here to Jammu and Kashmir because we wanted to give a message to every state that for us, the representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their statehood is the most important thing,' said Gandhi. He further highlighted that the creation of a union territory by removing statehood was unprecedented in India's history.

The Election Commission has announced that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with results scheduled for October 4. This election marks the first assembly poll in the region since the abrogation of Article 370.

(With inputs from agencies.)