JAMMU, Sept 15 :
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said here today that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi having already announced Statehood for Jammu & Kashmir, Opposition is trying to manufacture a fake narrative so that when the Statehood happens, they may take credit by saying,”Look here, we brought pressure on the Modi Govt and so it happened”.
This is a very old trick in politics, said Dr Jitendra Singh, but this time it will not work for the Opposition leaders because the common masses today are well informed and that too real time informed.
In an exclusive interview to a national TV channel, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, National Conference (NC) and Congress are trying to create this narrative because they know that the Statehood is in the pipeline and are seeking to take credit for it. This shows that opposition is devoid of issues.. He called it an old trick among the politicians to claim advance credit for things which are imminently going to happen.
Taking a jibe, he said “some of these politicians are still trying the tricks of the last election, but the voter has moved on, these tricks don’t work any more.
Dr Jitendra described the current Assembly election signifying the return of a vibrant democracy.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said “this is the first time that an election is being held to elect a five year term assembly after almost half a century recalling that the assembly term had been converted into a six year term way back during the emergency”.
He said, it clearly reflects what he has been very often retreating regarding the misuse of Article 370 by the protagonists of 370.Quoting the example of Indira Gandhi during Emergency who brought in the infamous 42nd and 43rd amendment as a result of which the assembly terms were increased to six years, Dr. Jitendra Singh said “Possibly she needed another one year to prepare for the polls. But when the government changed in 1977 Mr. Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister, it was
After PM having announced
reverted back. Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that the National Conference government headed by Sheikh Abdullah, was quick to adopt the first law even though Article 370 gave them the prerogative to decide which law to adopt or not .He also brought into notice a lesser reported fact that the second time, when it was reversed back, they used the alibi of 370 not to adopt the second law and thus not reverse the term back to 5 years, only to serve their vested interests.
Dr. Jitendra Singh remarked that at least for more than three decades, there’s been voter turn out of only 8 to 10% and they (Congress , NC) would get their legislators elected, MPs elected and form the government. He also exposed how it facilitated the dynasty rule generation after generation.
Highlighting the free fair election atmosphere in the valley, he said, so many candidates jumping into the electoral fray for the first time should been seen as a healthy democratic phenomenon.
Earlier, he said, was a very confined affair. He said, there would be a hartal call from Islamabadand shops would be shuttered down in Srinagar with a curfew like situation during polling. Past elections under the shadow of fear prevented people from voting and later managing and manipulating the result allowing a select few to be elected. He called this election under PM Modi to be the mainstreaming of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir
Dr. Jitendra Singh said Article 370 is no longer an issue.He also challenged to conduct a public service survey, not only in Jammu but also in Srinagar , in the heart of Valley, and said the commoner and people walking on the streets and lanes of city, would also not like to have 370 restored , but he may not say so, for reasons of fear, etc, but if asked privately his answer would be against 370. As it was a great barrier to the opportunities available to the citizen, a great barrier to the advantages rolled out from the central government, added the Minister.
Underscoring the fact that local bodies and the panchayats were deprived of the central grant to which they are entitled under 73rd and74th amendment of the Panchayati Raj Act, which was brought in, again by the Rajiv Gandhi government, but not implemented in Jammu and Kashmir to siphon off the grants to the treasury of the Chief Minister.
He also highlighted the constitution of the district councils which are getting direct funds. Dr. Jitendra Singh asked whose benefit was Article 370. He also raised the issue of not giving daughters of Jammu and Kashmir the right to the property of their parents if she chooses to have a spouse outside Jammu and Kashmir. He called that it was not only unjust but also inhuman of depriving the daughters of their right. According to Dr. Singh the votaries of 370 have been the biggest abusers of it.
Questioning the opposition Dr.Singh asked “Why for seven decades, Jammu Kashmir was deprived of this Prime Minister Modi who brought this in in 2020 it was Prime Minister Modi who conducted the Panchayat elections after nearly 20 years.”
According to him when we have a multi tier democratic system, all these issues get addressed, rightly so, and if the people have the expectation, I think that’s a part of the healthy democratic outlet happening.” Dr.Singh also said that “Jammu and Kashmir, including Kashmir Valley, is actually witnessing a resurgence of democratic aspirations and People have an opportunity to express their aspirations.”
Highlighting the tourism boom in Kashmir Dr. Singh said “Small towns like Madhura are now becoming a popular tourist spot. Prime Minister Modi mentioned it during his public rally at Doda, and I think in a single month of May, we had about five to six lakh tourists, which was unheard of in a place like Madhura. He also shared that two five star hotels are coming up. Highlighting the agri startup, and the lavender cultivation, the aroma mission, the purple revolution, which Prime Minister Modi mentioned, even in the DODA public rally, which he mentioned in the man ki baat has also taken birth from the district of Doda Bhadra,he said. On the question of attacks by the militants he said they are on the run, and there is no local sport . He also emphasized on The support to VDG from this government with guns and weapons.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said the National conference and Congress are in a position of weakness and the untrue statements are not from a position of strength and said on sight of defeat we start making up excuses, explanations for the day of reckoning. No of candidates and independents reflects a resurgence of aspiration, both of the voter as well as the persons seeking the vote, said Dr. Singh
On forming coalition Dr. Jitendra singh said Bharatiya Janata Party, even whenever it has come into an alliance with another party, it has not compromised its ideology.
He also remarked that in the history of independent India, there’s been only one single instance when we walked out of a coalition purely for ideological reasons. There was no vote of confidence, there was no public pressure, there was no protest, but we simply walked out because our leadership decided that the objectives, the purpose, the motive with which we had entered into an alliance to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir. When bottom lines are not being adhered to, and therefore we took an ideological stand, explained Dr. Singh.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, “All of us in BJP are equal. Our responsibilities change. There is no sense of entitlement, and that’s why you see, whenever there’s an election where it’s a local body election it is a Parliament election. Now the Assembly election, everybody jumps into the phrase, it’s like a family moving in. So each one of us is a karyakarta discharging the responsibility given to each one of us. And there is no sense of entitlement, as in the dynastic parties like Congress.
