Sonia appeals separatists to rejoin democratic process

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday appealed the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir to join democratic process in order to bring peace and development to the region.

"The separatists should learn lessons from the massive participation of people in elections and they should leave the path of violence and adopt a democratic way," she said.

•   E-mail Article
•   Printer Friendly
•   Text-Size    

Sonia Gandhi was attending a function after inaugurating the first Air India Express weekly flight to Dubai.

Appreciating the overwhelming participation of Kashmirs in the recently concluded state assembly elections, she said people have justified the democratic values of the nation by actively participating in the polls.

‘Ignoring the separatists call to boycott elections, the people of Kashmir have come out and voted in large numbers for democracy and development, which asserted that those indulging in violence in the state and elsewhere in the country were not the actual well wishers of the people,’ added Gandhi.

Congress now has coalition government in the state with the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC). NC had won 28 of the assembly's 87 seats, the Congress 17, the People's Democratic Party 21, Bharatiya Janata Party 11 and other parties and independents won 10 seats in the Assembly elections.