J&K L-G lashes out at Rahul Gandhi over 'Raja' remark

Srinagar: J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks that the L-G was working as a 'raja (king)’ and that no developmental work had been done in the UT during the last five years.

Speaking at a media event here, Manoj Sinha said that he would resign if more than 75 per cent of the people do not say that work has been done for the welfare of the public in the last five years.

L-G Sinha said that a secret ballot could be carried out to gauge the public sentiment in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.

“He (Rahul Gandhi) should take the opinion of the public, he will be more aware. Get a secret ballot done. If more than 75 per cent of the public does not say that work has been done for their welfare in the last five years, then I will resign”, Sinha challenged Rahul.

On the record voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha polls, Sinha said it was due to the people understanding the conspiracy of Pakistan and realising that their future was with India.

The Election Commission of India's statistics showed that in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, 58.46 per cent voter turnout was recorded, which was the highest in a Lok Sabha poll in the last 35 years in J&K.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the people of the Valley, have expressed faith in the democracy of India,” Sinha said.

Addressing a public rally in Jammu's Ramban on September 4, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on L-G Manoj Sinha, calling him a ‘raja’. “Aaj Jammu-Kashmir mein raja baitha hua hai. Uska naam L-G hai par hai voh raja. (Today, a king sits in Jammu and Kashmir. His name is L-G, but he is a king,” Gandhi said.

The Assembly elections are being held in three phases in J&K and it is because of the largely people-participative Lok Sabha elections that various political parties are vigorously carrying out their poll campaigns.

The participation of people in these poll campaigns, election rallies, meetings and roadshows indicates that the people have decided to express themselves through the ballot and that the bullet has lost its relevance in Kashmir.