Shadow Correspondent
Ramnagar, Mar, 11
Expressing dismay over the announcement of ECI to hold Parliament elections only in J&K to the exclusion of Assembly Polls on the pretext of security constraints, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and former Minister said the decision was self contradictory and shocking. If the security scenario was conducive for Parliamentary polls, how did it become non conductive for Assembly Elections, questioned Harsh Dev adding that vested political interests were coming in the way of restoration of democratic institutions in the state. He said that despite the political parties in the state having favoured early elections to the J&K legislative Assembly, the ruling party at the centre and MHA posed hindrances by citing security reasons and thereby caused the postponement of said elections merely for political expediencies. He said that having failed to deliver during its 3½ years rule in the state, and antagonized its own electorates as well, the BJP had manoeuvred postponement of Assembly elections and thereby conceded its defeat much before such elections.
Scared to face the people in the wake of its multiple betrayals with Jammu cause, it preferred extension of Presidents rule and continuation of its proxy rule in the state, said Singh. He was addressing a public meeting in Prey, Badhal villages of Ramnagar constituency today.
Accusing the BJP of having failed on all fronts, Mr. Singh said that people were eagerly awaiting to give the party a befitting reply for all its acts of betrayal and subterfuge. “Whereas the BJP and its cheer leaders continued to give tall slogans of development and growth, the delivery on the ground was conspicuously missing. And while the BJP rule pushed the entire Jammu region to terminal decline, the rural areas suffered most in terms of development. With hardly any schemes having been announced for the rural areas, the already existing and ongoing schemes faced the worst neglect during the saffron rule”, said Singh.
Making a mention of the extremely pathetic plight of road connectivity and a defunct power and water supply system, staff deficient schools and health centres and chronic shortage of ration in rural areas of Ramnagar constituency, Mr. Singh appealed the public to vote for change in the coming elections. He said that a party which had failed to fulfil even a single election promise had no moral authority to approach the people for votes. He said that there was all-round disenchantment against the BJP for having made false promises with the people for power sake. And having realized the fact that they could not face the electorates in the Assembly elections, the J&K BJP leaders had persuaded the GOI to ensure postponement of elections in the state, said Singh. He said that such wicked politicking on the part of BJP had defeated democracy in the state and would be remembered as a dark phase in the history of state.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rampaul Bhagat, Pawan Dev, Pt. Shiv Ram, Pushpinder Singh, Mohan Lal, Ram Dass, Sher Ali besides others.
