Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Dec, 09
Former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla on Friday claimed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were fed up with the “bluffs and failures” of the BJP Govt and are suffering on all counts. He alleged that the BJP had gained power after “betrayal of the mandate” and its experiments cost too much to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who lost their identity as a state besides all safeguards to their land and jobs. “The people will not spare BJP for its total failure and arbitrary and undemocratic decisions besides imposing heavy taxes, price hike and economic crises and failures on health and medicare during the Covid-19 pandemic. He flayed BJP for betraying the mandate of Jammu by raking up only frivolous issues instead of discussing failure in providing jobs, depriving the youth and businessmen of 4G mobile internet services for over a year, snatching land rights and statehood.This was observed by former Minister while campaigning at RS Pura Block and Miran Sahib Block in in favour of party DDC candidates Madam Chander Prabha and Romesh Mottan in Panchayat Khour. Prominent among those present on the occasion PCC Secretary Pawan Raina, Sr. Vice President Distt Rural Ravinder Singh, Ajeet Singh, Block President Jatinder Singh, Sarpanch Chanchala Devi, Sarpanch Kulbinder Singh, Balbir Singh, Sandeep Singh, Satpal Mandi, Jang Bhadhur, Charanjeet Bhagal, Charan Dass, Puran Singh, Parmodh Sharma, Sewa Ram Mandi, Sarpanchs, Panchs beside others. Speaking on this occasion, Bhalla observed that people across Jammu and Kashmir are emancipated enough to distinguish the political parties on the basis of their agenda and performance on the ground. Congress only aim is to serve the people and not to sell them moon and stars. We are here to work for the welfare of people and that should be our utmost priority,” he maintained.He said that Congress party is the only unifying force which would fight for the rights of the people of the state and appealed people to heavily vote in favour of Congress candidates to expose BJP government in the state and protect the policies and programmes which were initiated by the Congress for the welfare of the pluralistic, poor & downtrodden sections of the society for which Congress has always remained on the fore-front since independence.He said that said that Congress always took land mark steps to uplift the downtrodden & poor sections of the society and ensured the participation of the deprived sections in every sphere of life and appealed the people of different shades of the society to come under the umbrella of Congress party in order to strengthen the social and secular fabric of the state and ensure the overall development of each and every sections of the society.
Instead of addressing the real issues, BJP’s top leaders are indulging in vilification campaign against opponents, ignoring the fundamental fact that participation of all mainstream forces is a direct answer to Pakistan and the gun culture sponsored by it. Such utterances of the top ruling party leaders are highly irresponsible and create hatred and division in the society,” said Bhalla. Challenging the BJP to seek votes on its performance and arbitrary decisions in J&K, the Congress leader said that people would not get hoodwinked by the false promises of the ruling party regarding jobs security and land protection. The only achievement of BJP is to create division and hatred in society which has disturbed our age old secular and social fabric,” he claimed and asked the people to maintain their brotherhood and unity and defeat all provocations to disturb peace. The honour of people of Jammu has been compromised and downgraded by the leaders who claimed to be the champion for the cause their case in the region. BJP climbed political ladder rising voice against discrimination with the people of this region. And, ended up doing some disparity with the people who gave them the power to rule the country,” alleged Bhalla.
Bhalla accused the government of playing the politics of obstinacy opposing the amendments to Jammu and Kashmir”s land laws allowing outsiders to own land in the Union Territory and termed the move as undemocratic. He said the move does not follow the elementary canons of participatory democracy as no discussion was done with the stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir and the decision was enacted “by force”.He accused the Centre of doing the politics of stubbornness by forcing its decisions in Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that even the minimal safeguards on the subject of land, which are found in several other states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the northeastern states for different reasons, are not there. Government has shown itself as a government of obstinacy, of ramming down decisions through the throat on the ground on their ego issue and not on consensual democracy,” he said.Congress leader claimed there was widespread anger and resentment among the people of Jammu and Kashmir over the “arbitrary decision” of the BJP-led government to “disband and downgrade” the historically important state into two Union Territories.
Bhalla said that the last six years have exposed the BJP, which did not only betray people of Jammu but also contributed in the neglect of Jammu.
“BJP’s track record of governance has been dismal and the only priority for the beneficiaries of Jammu mandate is how to remain glued to power,” he said and blamed the present dispensation for taking the State back to turbulent times, by failing to sustain the gains of the Congress-led government in terms of peace and normalcy till 2014. Making a scathing attack on BJP, Bhalla said that BJP has failed to come to the expectations of people of J&K. Party is creating hype and plunging J&K into uncalled for controversies over issues which are no way connected either with governance or the much touted development, he added. Bhalla alleged that BJP leaders are busy only in delivering sermons and repeating of repeated hallow claims. However, he said the fact remains that developmental activities are almost invisible and no concrete measures are taken to address the issues of livelihood.
Modi government has been announcing packages and yojnas which in reality are re-packaging of the old packages and yojnas. On ground, the BJP government is treacherously snatching away several benefits that were available to the workers till now,” said Bhalla. He regretted that people of the Jammu region were back stabbed by BJP leadership as the party has brazenly abandoned its core agenda and adopted indifferent approach towards problems of the masses.Bhalla also grilled BJP for its failure on the front of anti militancy drive and strongly condemned killing of three BJP workers in Kashmir. All the promises made to the people of J&K by BJP leaders have proved just cruel joke. There was no peace on borders and moreover, the militancy has gained momentum.“The Government is missing on ground-zero and the people have nowhere to go for seeking redressal of their problems,” he said and added that the lack of political direction and was leading to administrative chaos .Bhalla said that the State of Jammu and Kashmir has been reduced to the level of administrative unit and the glory of the State has been snatched and ruined at the hands of BJP. He added that even after formal transition of J&K from State to UT on October 31, the issue of domicile safeguard and job safety and security has been left unaddressed. The future of lakhs of unemployed youth is in jeopardy, he added.
Bhalla said that present dispensation is turning a blind eye towards the apprehensions and concerns of people of the State, especially Jammu region. He said that Govt in a bid to demonstrate its powers and authority had resorted to such undemocratic move which was not in tune with the concept of liberal democracy. The Congress party would fight for the genuine rights of the people in Jammu and Kashmir who have underwent numerous sufferings during the past six years .PCC Vice President lashed out at BJP for its utter failure to respect the mandate of the people of Jammu. He said the people are feeling marginalized and neglected in every sphere. BJP leaders stand exposed for their lust of power and not respecting the mandate and for their hollow slogans and the utter failures of the BJP on all fronts.He alleged that anti-farmer, anti-employee, anti-poor, anti-women and anti-people BJP Government has been badly destroying the country. The party will step up and accelerate its awareness program to awaken people to the unjust actions of the Government, the economic degradation, the increasing inflation and costs, and anti-farmer agricultural laws among other things.
