The BJP did not fulfil promises of relief and rehabilitation made to people of Kashmir after recent floods, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Friday.Addressing a public meeting in north Kashmir's Bandipora town Friday, Gandhi said: "The Congress has a century-long relationship with Kashmir. This relationship brings me to Kashmir time and again."The Congress chief said the pace of relief and rehabilitation was very slow after the recent floods in the state because the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre made promises that it did not fulfil."Why is the relief work happening so slowly? Central government of BJP seems to have nothing to do with your worries," she said.
"BJP leaders came and made promises, but what they did on ground is known to you."Gandhi said in contrast, "we promised regional councils for Jammu, Kashmir and the Chenab Valley, and made them".She said to keep communal forces at bay, the Congress formed a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir.She accepted that despite being a ruling alliance partner, the Congress was not able to do as much as it wanted for the people of the state.Accompanied by senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni, Gandhi appealed to people to vote for the Congress candidates during the assembly elections.
An enthusiastic crowd of over 5,000 people attended her public meeting where local women sang Kashmiri songs to welcome her.Interestingly, the Congress candidate from Bandipora, Usman Majeed was not present during Gandhi's public meeting in the town.Bandipora assembly constituency votes Nov 25 in the first phase of the five-phase Jammu and Kashmir state assembly elections.