Akhnoor: Terming “The Betrayal”, the white paper issued by PAGD, as a “bunch of lies by the bunch of dynasts”, senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana Sunday cautioned against “their attempts of creating an atmosphere of paranoia across Jammu and Kashmir in a fit of desperation to regain lost power by indulging in falsehood and misrepresentation of facts”.
Asked by media-persons at the sidelines of a function here at Jio Potha Ghat, Akhnoor, to comment on the white paper released by the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Rqana said, “In the face of rejection by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in general, and the Valley in particular, the limited company of dynasts under the umbrella of PAGD is unsuccessfully trying to whip up passions to attain relevance in the Kashmir politics.
He said the people know who’s who and can read between the lines, “especially as the preface of their white lies exposes the inherent mischief of polarizing the communities and regions to satiate their lust for power.”
The authors of the document, he said have taken pains in defining the values and explaining the Preamble of the Constitution of India with reference to ‘Satya Mave Jayte’ (truth shall prevail) in a bid to make out a case in support of Article 370 “but fail to appreciate the temporary nature of this provision”.
“The temporary provision granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir had to go for being an obstacle to the rights of Dalits, women and tribals in particular,” he said, adding “this is why the PAGD remains confined to a few cozy drawing rooms of Gupkar Road in Srinagar.”
Rana also questioned the timing of the white paper, saying it took them 19 long months to frame up a response to August 2019 developments. “The proprietary demanded them to wait for the outcome of their plea filed in Supreme Court, but having chosen to articulate their false narrative in the public domain speaks of the underlying mischief.”
The public memory may be short but not that short to forget some of the actors of Kashmir politics seeking foreign forces to intervene in the issue related to Article 370, he added.
The BJP leader lamented the narrative being built up about BJP after registering a majority in the Legislative Assembly wanting to pass a resolution that “whatever they did in August 2019 has been accepted” to be placed in the Supreme Court.
“This is a classic case of hallucination where some people are trying to assume so many things,” he said, adding that “the August 05, 2019 political decisions are in the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and these were taken in accordance with the constitution and in a democratic manner.”
To a question on pledges being made from time to time with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in terms of various agreements, especially Delhi Agreement of 1952 as reflected in the PAGD white paper, Rana quipped that much water has flown down Jhelum, Tawi and Sindhu rivers since.
“Do they mean to say that these facts were not known to the stakeholders during 1975 Accord which led to the change of dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir with a towering leader taking oath as chief minister and not as the prime minister of the then state. This was the realization of the political realities of the time,” he added.
While recalling the assurances held out by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in Parliament about Jammu and Kashmir ushering a new phase of development, progress and prosperity post-August 2019 political developments, Rana said the interests of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir regions would be safeguarded at all costs.
“This is the commitment of a party which believes in action,” he said.
He also referred to various measures taken in recent years for stimulating the economy and undertaking development. He also referred to the ground situation, especially in the Valley, saying that “terror-related incidents have drastically come down, peace is prevailing with stone pelting becoming gruesome reality of the past.”
Rana exuded confidence that “democracy will touch a new zenith in Jammu and Kashmir with the holding of elections and people stamping the government of their choice.”
He urged the people to not “buy the lies being spread by the dynasts in the shield of PAGD for their narrow political interests”.
“Those trumpeting people to be the real fountainhead of power actually consider governance as their birthright, and on the contrary the BJP believes in power going to chosen representatives to serve the people, without any discrimination,” he added.
