Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Dec, 14
Remote and far-flung areas of J&K lacked behind in terms of development and availability of basic amenities under BJP rule during last more than six years. This was observed by former Minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla while addressing huge gathering in favour of Congress DDC candidate from Seri Neelam Sharma at Seri, Lamberi,. On this occasion, Independent candidate DDC seat Sheetal Devi withdrew her nomination in favour of Congress candidate Neelam Sharma. Prominent among those present on the occasion include JKPCC Chief Spokesman Ravinder Sharma, Adv. Rajinder Parshad, Amrit Bali, Rishiv Sharma, Razak Sahib, Sarpanch Vijay Sharma, Sarpanch Kishori Dutt, Sarpanch Suraj Parkash, Sarpanch Pishori Lal, Retd Lecturer Sukhdev Sharma, Chander Bakshi, Arshad Mehmood Ex Sarpanch, Arif Jameel, Monu Sharma, Retd ZEO Shamsher Singh,Somraj Heer, Madam Gulshana, Gopal Krishan beside others. Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said in remote and far-flung area of the state, people are facing great hardships on account of healthcare, education, road connectivity, power & drinking water facilities as such areas could not get attention of the BJP government to provide adequate basic facilities to the people in all spheres of life, it is unfortunate that the present government has neglected theese areas in every sphere of life and people are left on the mercy of God. PCC leader said that the poll promises of BJP have proved to be mere bluffs and people are fed up with the policies and sheer opportunism of party. BJP took the extreme positions on most of the emotional issues. The people could not see through their tactical game plan and gave BJP an unprecedented strength in Jammu. What happened thereafter, when party took a complete U-turn on their respective positions and promises to the people made during elections, as a result the people feel betrayed and cheated. The people want to teach party , a lesson, for having taken their sentiments and emotions for a ride, in order to enter the corridors of power.He said that the Congress party is emerging stronger in all areas of the state and it would vigorously expose the wrong policies of the BJP government, accused it of hoodwinking the people during elections.
He said that BJP spread falsehood about the Congress party and UPA but soon the people in different parts have felt that the elections slogans were coined as mere ‘Jumlas’ and the BJP government has failed to fulfill even a single promise. Instead of ‘Achhe Din’, people now want return of old days, as the prices of all essential commodities have been touching the record highest rates so far and government has utterly failed to provide even basic amenities. Former Minister claimed that Jammu and Kashmir under BJP rule has earned a distinction to have the highest number of unemployment rate in entire Northern India.Nearly 40 percent youth, in the age group of 15 to 30 years, are unemployed in Jammu and Kashmir and that the number was higher than the national level.One of the most disturbing problem in India has been the mounting rate of unemployment, both in the rural and urban sectors. In case of rural sector, there has been both educated and industrial unemployment. There is seasonal unemployment, Industrial unemployment, Educational unemployment, Techno logical unemployment and disguised unemployment. Bhalla observed that there is underdevelopment in most of the areas and there is resentment among the people in view of growing disconnection with the Govt. He said that the BJP has befooled the people with its hollow slogans and assurances which were never fulfilled. The people of Jammu region had given BJP huge mandate in 2014 assembly in the erstwhile state on the slogans of development. However, there is no development which has exposed the BJP which is playing the emotional card,” he alleged. He said that “People should understand that the Congress Party has always stood for the downtrodden section of society and represents the weaker section without biasness.”“BJP is a political party of rich people and industrialists. The neglected section of society should remember the contribution of Congress Party in various welfare schemes for the upliftment of the neglected classes, Scheduled Castes, Schedule Tribes, middle class, lower middle class and other sections of the society,” said Bhalla. Bhalla said that Congress’s mission to serve the public will reach further high and expressed confidence of her win in the upcoming polls.“Congress Party has done a lot for people of her area and I am sure the Party’s candidate will be rewarded for that by the public in the DDC elections. The endless love, support and blessing of people, along with candidate’s commitment to Congress’ people-friendly policies will see her triumph over her competitors,” said Bhalla. He assured gathering that Congress Party will continue to work for the wellbeing of the people, despite the concocted and false propaganda unleashed by the BJP against the Party. Lashing out at the BJP Govt, Bhalla said that Congress Party won’t be cowed down by the anti-Congress rant by the BJP, rather it will further strengthen our resolve to fight for the people’s rights. People have realized as to what BJP has done since it assumed power at Centre and erstwhile J&K State and how it pushed people of J&K to wall for electoral gains. Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said that DDC Elections were the best opportunity for the people to defeat the designs of BJP, who were desperate enough to grab power. He added and emphasized the people to strengthen the Secular Forces by casting their vote in favour of the Congress Party in these (DDC) Elections, ensuring that the BJP and its divisive policies were defeated. He also said Congress will continue to fight against the wrong policies of BJP and won’t compromise on people’s wishes and rights.
The party which comes to power on the slogan of empowerment of Jammu region and its people gave the worst nightmares to Dogras whose very self respect and honour was often compromised by the mandated leaders for lust of power. Those who could not even fulfill the demand of Dogras for holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday had no right to ask the people for votes, asserted Bhalla.
Calling upon the people to defeat all BJP sponsored candidates, he said that Congress confronting the authoritarian BJP regime and fighting for the rights of the common man.He said that peoples’ power should manifest itself in these local bodies elections by discarding those political parties which had deserted them after attaining power.
Speaking on the occasion, Congress candidate Neelam Sharma appealed people to teach a lesson to those who exploited the gullibility of innocent masses by their seductive slogans during elections and subsequently abandoned them after attaining power”, she said. Having the history of toppling stable state governments, in an attempt to feed its power hungry giants, the party considered its 2014’s short-lived collation with PDP as a mere opportunity to attain power in J&K. People were promised moons and stars , promised every Indian fifteen lakh rupees, lakhs of jobs, free homes, toilets etc. but brought India on the verge of recession. For these poor opportunists, they forgot to understand that these were merely promises and had nothing to do with the reality, added Sharma .
Seeking votes for congress, he appealed people to vote for Congress policies.He appealed to the voters to judge the performance of BJP on the development fronts and policies for the youth before casting their votes. The BJP gave large scale unemployment and unprecedented price hike and anti farmers and Anti Youth policies after getting huge mandate from people.The new recruitment and land laws are against the interest s of the present and future generations and people should send a strong message.“The government should give a befitting response to Pakistan’s mischief and silence its guns as a lot of our jawans and officers have been martyred in the recent years due to surge in Pakistani shelling (on the LoC and the International Border),” Bhalla said.Such cowardly attacks will not deter the determination of our forces to eliminate the terrorism from the soil of India,” he said.However, he questioned the Centre and the Union Territory administration for the “increased activities” of terrorists in the valley and elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir during the past few years.“Although, the Army and security forces, including Jammu and Kashmir police, have been bravely fighting the terrorism but the policies of the central government have led to further deterioration in the situation and rise in the challenge for the forces,” he said.
Bhalla termed Modi government a govt of ‘mis-governance’ and responsible for the economic crisis in the country.”While the economy of the country was struggling, the Modi government dedicated itself to destroying the secular fabric of society. It blatantly attacked the very foundations of the Constitution and destroyed the federal structure of the country,” he said. Former Minister said, “due to weak economic policies, unemployment and inflation has added manifold in the country,” he said and further alleged that on the social front as well, the Modi headed government remained a failure which triggered chaos across the nation. However, downgrading the glorious Jammu and Kashmir State to the stature of Union Territory was another ‘big blunder’ made by his government, he said and added, “the historical state lost its identity after it was created UT. Modi Government has hurt the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” Bhalla slamming the Centre for having no policy for youth of Jammu and Kashmir said, “the government lacks vision for J&K youth and they have no policy for them either its J&K Bank recruitment, SRO 202 or regularization of daily wagers.”He said that the promise made that no one will lose his job due to the prevailing crisis (COVID-19) is merely “eyewash”. “Each and every institution is being used to further the political purposes of the BJP rather than for nation-building,” he said adding that the Constitution was subverted when the state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided, taking the entire world by surprise.
Speaking on the occasion, JKPCC Chief Spokesman Ravinder Sharma said Modi Govt day in and day out has been thumping chests on achievements but there is hardly any positive achievement whereas entire official figures and data reveal lot of failures on most of the fronts and on issues which the BJP had promised and now came out t be only “Jumlas” but the BJP Govt. is indulging in diversionary tactics to distract from the real issues of governance and commitments of BJP.J&K is virtually witnessing mis-governance with Government nowhere to be seen on ground”, he said, adding that if all there is any visibility of the Govt anywhere here, it is for all the wrong reasons of exploiting people and inciting them to fight each other.BJP leadership suffering from inherent contradictions and playing to galleries, as a consequence of which the people of Jammu, Kashmir find themselves pushed to the wall. He said deceptive politics and disruptive posturing of the BJP has cost J&K dearly, not only in terms of gap between the people widening but also performance of the administration taking nose dive due to lack of political direction.
Ravinder blamed BJP for exploiting people by playing with their emotions on good governance drama being staged by them. He claimed that party has lost the ground miserably. He described BJP Government in Jammu and Kashmir as an abject failure, saying it is plagued by distractions that has slowed down the process of development and left the governance in paralytic mode.“In fact, the present dispensation has lost the will to govern”, he said, adding that the slogan of development is just a façade, as the major concern of the insensitive alliance is how to remain glued to power.Sharma blamed the BJP leadership for their utter failure on all fronts, and misleading Jammu people with false loud statements, as the main motive of BJP is to divert the attention of Jammu people from the real issues of public interests. He alleged that BJP whom Jammu people have voted into power should not shift their responsibility, but should concentrate on fulfilment of their electoral promises made. He blamed BJP for showing no concern on Border tension which has disturbed the daily life of many Border residents .He accused Central BJP Government which has failed to address the issue of Cross Border firings which has risen since PM Modi has Formed the Govt.Sharma further said this Government has nothing to showcase as its achievement. He said treachery and deceit of the BJP is haunting Jammu people who reposed their unflinching faith and support to it with the hope that Jammu may perhaps get a better deal as during the days of its wilderness in the opposition, the BJP leaders were crying hoarse over discrimination and neglect.He said that sense of alienation and deprivation being felt in Jammu Province also needs to be understood and addressed. He attributed this sense of deprivation to the exploitative and opportunistic politics of the BJP and its local leaders.
