If the situation is so secure then let Amit Shah walk from Jammu to Lal Chowk: Rahul Gandhi

“If the situation is so good, why don't the BJP people do a Yatra from Jammu to Lal Chowk? Why doesn't Mr Amit Shah walk from Jammu to Kashmir if the situation is so secure? So I don’t think this argument ( improved situation) holds," Rahul said in a press conference in Srinagar.

On the India-China standoff, Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suggested that the way to deal with Chinese is to tell them firmly and clearly that they are sitting on our land which would not be tolerated.

"The Prime Minister is the only person in the country who is under the impression that the Chinese have not taken any land from India. I recently met some ex-army people and even some delegation from Ladakh who clearly said that 2000sq km of Indian territory has been taken away. Many of the patrolling points that used to be in Indian territory are now firmly in Chinese hands,” Rahul Gandhi said in a press conference in Srinagar after unfurling the tricolour at Lal Chowk.

“I keep repeating that the approach the government is following by completely denying that the Chinese have taken our land is an extremely dangerous approach and is going to give them confidence to do even more aggression. I think the way to deal with Chinese is to tell them firmly and to be very clear that they are sitting on our land and it is not going to something that we are going to tolerate,” he said.

On the Kashmir situation, Rahul argued that targeted killings and bomb blasts are happening regularly and it belies the claim of the BJP government of improvement in the situation.

The former Congress president Rahul said the slogan of “ Naya Kashmir” by the ruling party does not hold any ground.

“I was saddened when I walked through J&K as nobody is happy here and Ladakh as well,” he said.

Asked about the historic moment of unfurling the tricolor in Lal Chowk almost 75 years after his great grandfather Jawahar Lal Nehru hoisted the tricolor and made certain promises, Rahul said he was pained at seeing present Jammu and Kashmir.

Rahul said the restoration of democratic process and statehood was imperative and the fundamental right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He also hit out at BJP alleging that it has destroyed the country's institutions.

"I think what the RSS & BJP are doing is attacking the institutional framework of the country, judiciary, media etc. What you see in J&K is the same assault. When we talk in the Parliament our mics are muted….. As far as I am concerned, the first step in Jammu and Kashmir is the restoration of statehood and democratic rights," he said.

(With UNI inputs)