Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 12: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Member, Nasir Hussain, today urged people to fully support the National Conference-Congress alliance to ensure they can effectively advocate for rights of citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hussain made this appeal during a press conference where he emphasized that the upcoming election is a direct contest between the NC-Congress alliance and the BJP.
“It is up to the people to decide whether they want a robust Congress-NC government or to give the BJP another chance,” he said.
He said while the BJP claims that Jammu will determine the government formation, they assert that the entire region has a say. “We are securing significant support in Jammu and, along with Kashmir, will form a government that will challenge the center and work towards achieving statehood,” he said.
Hussain criticized the BJP’s approach, noting that while they directly contest elections in areas where they see potential for victory, they incite clashes in regions where they do not have a strong presence. He accused the BJP of using the governor’s office and agencies like the ED to undermine opponents and split parties, and even field independent candidates when necessary.
He urged voters to grant the alliance an absolute majority to strengthen their position. “With only a simple majority and a few extra seats, our effectiveness in advocating for our causes would be compromised. A strong government is essential for a strong voice,” he added.
Hussain questioned the BJP’s fulfilment of its promises, including the creation of two crore jobs annually. “The BJP promised 20 crore jobs by now but has failed. They also promised Rs 15 lakh per person, housing for all, and doubled incomes for farmers-none of these promises have materialized,” he said.
The Congress leader outlined his party’s commitments, including filling around one lakh sanctioned vacancies, providing 11 kg of rice per person, and giving Rs 3,000 monthly to elderly women. He also promised interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakhs for women entrepreneurs, health insurance coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh, mobile clinics and new super-specialty hospitals with affordable medicines in every tehsil.
For Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Hussain assured adherence to constitutional protections and pledged full implementation of the policy for Kashmiri Pandit rehabilitation as outlined by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He proposed reactivating the upper house, granting it autonomy, and establishing a legislative council similar to other states. “If we had been in power at the center, we would have restored full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We seek a strong government here to fight for statehood,” Hussain concluded.
He asserted that the alliance with the National Conference aims to counter the BJP’s divisive tactics and expose what he called Amit Shah’s conspiracy. “The BJP’s strategy includes fielding independent candidates and proxies instead of directly contesting elections,” he said.
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