PM had nothing new to offer to J&K
Darbar move practice to be restored
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 15: Claiming that Congress and National Conference coalition will form next Government in Jammu and Kashmir with comfortable majority, former Union Minister and AICC general secretary, Incharge J&K affairs of the party, Bharatsinh Solanki today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nothing new to offer to the people of J&K during his Doda visit on Saturday.
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“Prime Minister always repeats the old rhetoric in Jammu and Kashmir as BJP has nothing new to offer to the people of J&K after ruling for 10 years and giving lot of pain and sufferings to them all these years,” Solanki said while talking to media persons here today.
Reacting to Prime Minister Modi’s speech yesterday at Doda, the senior AICC leader said that there was nothing new for the people as he repeated the old rhetoric’s and offered the same old promises after re-packing them but people of all sections especially the youth know what happened to the old “Jumlas”. They remembered the old pack of “Jumlas”, so not ready to buy the same again.
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Solanki regretted that Prime Minister did not utter a word of sympathy to the families of two jawans martyred and two other injured in the adjoining Kishtwar district on Saturday, in terrorists’ encounter, while addressing an election rally in Doda yesterday. PM had no answer to the large scale rise in terror activities in Jammu region, since BJP had claimed that terrorism shall be wiped out after removal of Article 370. But it was fully revived in Jammu region and even today encounters are going on at several places.
Replying to a question on near surrender of Cong before NC in seat sharing and possibility of shift on the stance of NC after poll results, Solanki said that there can be speculations but Congress-NC Coalition will form the next Government with comfortable majority.
“We are contesting elections on a positive agenda of restoration of peace, normalcy and governance, as 10 years of BJP rule has derailed the various systems of governance and welfare. We shall have a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for governance when voted to power to work for the overall welfare of all sections of the development of J&K,” AICC leader said.
When asked whether Congress leaders’ decisions have weakened the party in certain areas of J&K like-Doda region, Udhampur and Rajouri-Poonch districts by offering more seats to NC and having friendly contest on six seats, AICC J&K Incharge said, “ Our priority shall be to heal the wounds of all sections who are facing hardships due to the authoritarian bureaucratic regime under the LG. The promise of restoration of Statehood was not fulfilled by the Centre as BJP wants to rule J&K through proxy and exploit the resources through crony capitalists but we shall struggle for immediate restoration of Statehood and undertake relief and welfare measures to the people of all sections. The decisions were taken in the best interests of the people of J&K,” Solanki claimed.
Replying to yet another question, Solanki said that the age-old practice of Darbar move shall be revived, as it was great source of economic stability of Jammu as well Kashmir besides exchange of of cultures and other interests of two regions.
“If voted to power, our Government will restore it in the larger interests of people as overwhelming demand has come from people, especially Jammu region,” he claimed.
Flanked by AICC secretaries Manoj Yadav and Divya Maderna, National Media Co-ordinator Dolly Sharma, JKPCC senior vice president and chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Solanki said that BJP’s ‘Sankalp Pattar’ is another “Jumla Pattar” and same old promises for youth, women and others have been re-packaged but what treatment was given to them in 10 years is known to them. Since 2018, when Assembly was dissolved and more particularly after the downgrading of the State into UT, who stopped BJP to implement all these promises for these sections being offered now.
The youth are facing highest ever unemployment of the last 45 years, as J&K is second top in unemployment while women unemployment is highest in J&K in the country. Youth were promised employment boom after abrogation of Article 370, but reverse happened to them,” he said.
The pensions of elderly, widows and handicapped were stopped and they were forced to take rounds of various Government offices for reviving their pensions. The daily wagers, need based and other such temporary employees including Anganwari workers, helpers were subjected to worst kind to harassments and resorted to police lathicharge when protested.
He reminded that a massive Rs 24000 crores package for infrastructure and development was announced by Dr Manmohan Singh Government in 2004 which swelled to over Rs 36000 crores as a result lot of power infrastructure and road connectivity was strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir.
AICC leader said that PM and BJP should tell what they did to the Kashmiri displaced community as nothing was done to their issues, after the PM Dr Manmohan Singh’s Package of Rs 1600 cr for employment, Relief and Rehabilitation Package for them, as a result first time KP youth got jobs in Kashmir, modern township in Jammu besides transit colonies were constructed in Kashmir valley.
“We shall carry forward the Manmohan Singh’s Package for them and creation of jobs for them but BJP’s 10 years rule was worst for the youth and other sections. Congress will come out with a full manifesto shortly, comprising all the commitment and issues of all sections, while only few guarantees have been announced by the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi during their visits,” he added.
JKPCC spokesperson Kapil Singh, Neeraj Gupta- Chief Media Coordinator and Deepanshu Bhat IYC spokesperson were also present.