‘No question of having any truck with Rashid, candidates’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 16: Giving all credit for total transformation in trouble -torn Jammu and Kashmir to Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government at Centre, former Union Minister and sitting MP Anurag Singh Thakur today said after abrogation of controversial Article 370 in 2019 J&K was transformed from terrorism to democracy and there is a sea change in the ground situation now.
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In an exclusive interview to Excelsior after reaching here this morning for campaigning in Kishtwar district of Jammu region for his party candidates, Anurag Thakur said that people of Jammu and Kashmir have already stamped the Modi Government’s decision on abrogation of 370 and 35 A after they enmass participated in Panchayat, Block Development Council (BDC) and District Development Council (DDC) elections and voted in favour of BJP by rejecting the three dynastic parties including National Conference (NC) Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who had crushed democracy in J&K for decades together due to their misrule.
Making a scathing attack on the dynastic parties, he said after a long time the BDC and DDC polls were held in J&K during Modi Government and grassroots democracy was strengthened in the erstwhile State. He said as Modi Government fulfilled its promise of strengthening the basic institutes of democracy in the J&K it will also fulfil its promise of restoring Statehood to J&K.
Thakur outrightly rejected that his party is having any truck with Engineer Rashid’s organisation or independent candidates owing allegiance to Jamaat-e-Islami who are contesting elections in J&K and appealed the people of Kashmir to reject these candidates for larger interests of democracy. He made it categorical that BJP will never talk with any party or individual who is against the national interests.
“We believe in total integration of J&K with India and for this purpose we abrogated Article 370, removed the concept of two flags and two Constitution as BJP is for Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan and Ek Pradhan”, he said.
“We have no link with independent turned Jamaat candidates and Rashid as we totally reject their ideology, question does not arise of having any poll tie up with them,” he added.
Exuding confidence that BJP will win the elections hands down, he said Modi Government eliminated terrorism from J&K, restored peace as borders are calm today, people have been relieved of bloodshed, lives of innocent people have been saved and investment and tourism as well as employment generation has been given boost. The stone pelting is zero, he added.
Maintaining that peace is key to progress, Thakur said earlier Home Minister of India hesitated to visit Kashmir due to terrorism and today any one can freely move and stroll on Lal Chowk, Srinagar.
The former Minister while accusing Congress and NC of retarding development in J&K said they took no interest in construction of Hydro Electric Power projects in the erstwhile State and this time four major power projects are alone under construction in Kishtwar district which will boost power generation, create employment avenues for locals and guarantee happiness to people. There is a good network of roads and highways under construction in J&K which can generate best avenues for earning, he added.
“The youth who were earlier lured by the political parties to take stones in their hands are now taking laptops and computers in their hands. This is the basic change which Modi Government brought in the lives of people of Kashmir”, he added.
Holding former Prime Minister, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru responsible for Kashmir crisis, he said the thousands of people would not have been killed had Congress not done Himalayan blunders on Kashmir since 1947. Today J&K is slated to touch heights and emerge as one of the developed regions of country, he added.
Depriving local people of fruits of democracy for decades together by dynastic parties for their vested political interests led to taking of arms by a Kashmiri youth, said Thakur who also held Congress responsible for terrorism from Punjab to Kashmir.
The BJP leader said that his party Government brought a sea change in J&K by bringing high-tech prestigious institutes like IIT, IIM, IIMC, two AIIMS, eight Medical Colleges, Nursing Colleges, Engineering Colleges and Jammu is on the path of becoming IT hub.
He said besides, many new hotels have been established in J&K and Rs 25,000 crore investment has come while Rs 75, 000 crore investment is in pipeline. The Katra-Delhi Expressway will reduce the travel to six hours, the construction of four lanes is on. The highest railway bridge in world is in J&K, he added.
All communities were given justice, STs were given political reservation, Paharis given ST status, Valmikis and West Pak refugees including women were given rights, he said, adding the OBC categories will also get justice as BJP is committed to their cause also.
Thakur said that some political parties had vested interests in terrorism and separatism as they wanted to remain in power so they exploited people’s sentiments for decades together. They even sought support of Pakistan to succeed in their game plan. This is the reason that they patronised the separatists and terrorists as they don’t want that peace be restored in J&K but with the proactive policies of Modi Government their ground has been shaken now and they are in great desperation, he added.
Tkakur outrightly rejected holding talks with Pakistan till it does not stop cross border terrorism saying Modi Government is committed to zero tolerance on terrorism.
He warned that in case Pakistan continues to support terrorism, Modi Government will not hesitate to launch surgical strikes once again.
Lambasting Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi for his oft repeated controversial statements, Anurag alleged that his agenda is to defame India. “Even people in foreign countries question whether Rahul is Indian or not”. The Pakistani Minister has recently said that Rahul Gandhi should be Prime Minister of India, he added.
Thakur, while terming Rahul a non serious politician said BJP defeated Congress thrice and his party could not cross 100 seats in three elections.
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