Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Feb, 03
Outraged over PM Narendera Modi’s tall promises doled out to Jammu region in 2014 turning hoax, hundreds of Panther activists including women and youth led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Mr. Yash Paul Kundal State President, Young Panthers held a thunderous protest demonstration on the advent of Modi’s visit in Jammu today. The infuriated protesters while raising slogans against the BJP sought explanation from the PM for not fulfilling his election time promises in the past 5 years. They also waved ‘black flags’ as a mark of resentment against the Saffron party for shamefully acquiescing Jammu centric issues to Kashmiri leaders for the crumbs of power.
Addressing the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh recalled that during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2014, PM Narendera Modi made grandiloquent promises to the people of Jammu region in resolving their issues with big fan fare once BJP assumed power. Subsequently, the people voted BJP to power with an overwhelming mandate in both the elections. While the BJP MPs from Jammu region remained mute spectators in the Union capital in five years, the Saffron party in the State had compromised with the national and regional interests to empower Kashmir oriented ‘Agenda of Alliance’. Its 25 MLAs in the State miserably failed to rake up people’s voice in the Assembly in the last three and a half years which immensely dented Dogra pride and honour. They had despicably surrendered all the Jammu related issues and the aspirations of the people before the Kashmiri leaders to enjoy ‘power ride’, Harsh lamented. Lambasting the BJP for indulging in double standards and duplicity over Jammu issues, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh questioned the visiting Prime minister about his stand over the abrogation of Art 370 and 35-A which BJP always trumpeted before the elections. He said that PM’s promises merely proved to be rhetoric in view of Saffron Party taking persistent U-turns on several core issues while discarding them after assuming to power which included delimitation of Assembly constituencies, Dogri satellite channel for Jammu, Dogra certificate for Jammu youth, declaration of holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth day and on Accession day, 5 Marla plots for border dwellers in safer zones, adequate compensation to Jammu farmers, State subject rights to WPRs, adequate one time settlement package to DPs of PoJK, State subjects and property rights to children of daughters of J&K married outside state, equitable share to Jammu region in employment and allocation of funds, 5% vertical reservation for ex-servicemen and martyrs families, abolition of Custodian deptt and ownership rights to the occupants, 33% reservation to Women in J&K Legislative Assembly etc.
Elucidating the PM about the traumatic subjugation being experienced by the people of Jammu region over these years, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that with the entire concentration of the BJP on Kashmir the Jammu region was perpetually left neglected economically and politically to face severe identity crisis. He said that our educated unemployed youth were made to languish in open for their genuine demands while entire thrust was on the valley in the matter of employment. “Recent influx and illegal settlement of Rohingyas, change of nomenclature of Hindu shrines and places, abortion of Jammu’s artificial lake, uncertainty over restoration of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, etc. had brewed fears in the people’s mind that the BJP colluded with the Kashmir centric leadership to erase their historical identity and establish a sectarian homogeneity on fascist lines. Events like obnoxious policy for rehabilitation of the surrender militants and stone-pelters, jobs and compensation for NOKs of deceased anti- national elements but disparagement and empty coffers for martyrs, appeasement of secessionist forces in the valley and aversion towards the nationalist people, etc had attributed to the peaked embitterment and resentment among the people of Jammu region”, anguished Harsh said. He maintained that people would no more get swayed by the Saffron rallies as they were well versed with the intentions of the power hungry BJP. “They were now only waiting to decimate and weed out BJP from its core constituency for its acts of betrayals, duplicity and deceit”, roared Harsh.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Mrs. Manju Singh, Mrs. Kesar Parveen Adv, Renu Singh, Gagan Partap Singh, Parshotam Parihar, Sham Gorkha, Rajiv Mahajan, Surinder Chouhan, Shanker Chib, Rajesh Gondhi, Nirmal Kishore, Khajoor Singh, Rampaul Sharma, Shankaar Singh Sanju, Capt. Narotam Singh, Mohinder Singh, Rashpaul Singh, Udhayveer Singh, Vishab Singh, B.D Sharma, Rakesh Verma, Ajay Sharma besides others.
