Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that

the party will put all its might to restore statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and strongly accused the NDA Government at the Centre of snatching away the statehood.

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Addressing a gathering at the Satwari Chowk at the sideline of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said that there was no issue bigger than the restoration of Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

He said that the job opportunity in J&K has been curtailed with the implementation of the Agniveer scheme in the Indian Army.

Local traders in Jammu were suffering as influential people from outside grabbed the trade where the voice of locals was not heard by the administration, said Rahul Gandhi.

He alleged the utter failure of the BJP-led Government at the Centre to bring down the price level where prices of petrol and LPG have refused to come down.

Talking about the white T-shirt that he was donning throughout the Bharat Jodo Yatra and despite the chill of J&K, the former Congress president said that he did not feel cold because of the love and affection by the people.

Speaking about a delegation of Kashmiri Pandit employees, who were protesting here against the targeted killings and demanding posting in safe places, Gandhi disclosed that members of the delegation met the Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor, who told them not to |”beg”. “I want to tell the LG that they are not begging, they are just asking for their rights,” Rahul added.

Before that hundreds of people gathered at Kunjwani in the outskirts of the city to receive Gandhi. Leaders and workers from the National Conference (NC) and PDP joined the local Congressman to welcome Rahul Gandhi and his Bharat Jodo Yatra. NC leaders also shared the stage with Gandhi in Satwari.

Congress shared a video, in which the PM package employees while briefing Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP had done precious little for them. Whatever was done was during the Congress led

UPA regime.

After addressing the gathering, he offered prayers at the ancient Raghunath Temple in the interior of Jammu City. His visit was abrupt where 2 terror attacks took place last year in the form of grenade explosions and indiscriminate firings that claimed 20 lives. His mother Sonia Gandhi visited the temple after the attack and took stock of the damages.

The traffic police in Jammu have issued a detailed advisory for Monday and Tuesday to ensure the smooth movement of traffic on the highway and other link roads in the city in view of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Tuesday.