Rajouri: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday accused the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party and the Congress of befooling the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the name of self-rule and autonomy so that they can “camouflage perpetration of the dynasty rules”.
Addressing a public rally in support of BJP candidate Asif Choudhary for the District Development Council (DDC) polls, Singh alleged that the “Gupkar parties” have divided the communities but the BJP gave justice to all.
“The striking example of this is that even as the Gupkar parties, including the Congress, National Conference and PDP, were trying to appease one community at the cost of the other, they did not give political reservation to the Scheduled Tribes, which would have benefited large sections of population, including Gujjars and Bakarwals,” he claimed.
He said it is the Narendra Modi government that has undone this injustice.
“The Congress, the National Conference and the PDP are befooling the innocent masses in the name of self-rule and autonomy by using these two slogans to camouflage perpetration of dynasty rule by them,” he alleged.
The Union minister for the PMO said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made everyone understand the real meaning of the self-rule and autonomy, which is born from the grassroots and to those who ask what has been gained from the abrogation of Article 370, the brief answer is that “we got District Development Councils and 73rd and 74th Amendments of local self-government”.
Singh, who hails from Jammu region, alleged that the three parties — the Congress, the National Conference and the PDP — have thrived all these years through politics of communal and regional divide.
“It is for the first time in the last six years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the benefits of reforms and developments have been sought to be carried to the needy and the deserving, regardless of religion, caste or creed,” he said.
He said the Rajouri area is known for its high level of literacy and nationally renowned writers and yet the first degree college was set up here only recently. Being very close to the LoC, Singh said people living here have been facing constant hardships.
“It is for the first time, the plan to construct bunkers here was taken up and upgraded road connectivity was established,” the minister said.
He said a plan for rail connectivity to this area is also being worked out, which will open new vistas of development and easy accessibility.
Pointing out that this rally was being held just about four kms away from the LoC, Singh predicted that a day will come when the “part of this area which has gone under illegal occupation of Pakistan due to the mistakes of the Congress governments, will be retrieved back” and people living there would also get the benefit of having DDCs and three-tier grassroots democracy.
