Intensifies campaign for UlB, Panchayat polls

Bhalla slams Centre for disconnect between people and J&K administration

Jammu, July 23, 2023:-JKPCC has gone aggressively for the upcoming urban local bodies elections across J&K. JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla and others put their heads together to chalk out the strategy at Trikuta Nagar Jammu Ward-53. Prominent among those present on the ocassion include Aman Bawa, , Baldev Raj Gupta, Ashok Khajuria, Advocate Davinder Parihar, Dheeraj Gupta, Retd  Chief Engineer Sunil Gupta, Bhushan Langar, Rajesh Gupta besides others.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said that  party is of the view the local body elections would be a litmus test for the Congress’ reach among the voters ahead of the poll-packed years. “2024 is a challenging year for the Congress party. We have a new party president in the form of Kharge who has stressed on regrouping Congressmen and their voters. The polls coming in the form of UlBs and panchayats would test our preparations for the future,” said Bhalla.

Coming to State politics, Bhalla hit out the BJP-led Government terming it the most callous dispensation so far. “Entire J&K is living with the sting of their anti-people actions. Poor and destitute are being robbed of their rights. Different sections of society are on the roads to get their basic needs fulfilled while the Government is busy wasting public money in the name of cheep publicity,” said Bhalla.  He alleged the Government for strangulating democracy in the State and referred to continuous anti-people policies and programmes. “The Government is fleeing away from the questions relating to people of the State.  Bhalla said that Jammu and Kashmir “lost its identity” under the BJP and appealed to the people to support Congress in the fight for the restoration of statehood.

Bhalla said, “BJP regime has destroyed Jammu and Kashmir in various spheres, as it lost its identity, status, right over jobs, lands, opportunities of trade and transport and business besides whatsoever selections and recruitment were done in the UT, witnessed corruption and scams.”Bhalla said, “People have been exploited in the name of a bright future, control prices, and two crore jobs annually. But all their promises have fallen flat, except politics of hate and division. Jammu and Kashmir was a historical state with much better living conditions than most states in the country, but now it has been pushed into an atmosphere of political uncertainty.”

Bhalla said that further delay in restoring statehood was bound to cause more disconnect between the Centre and J&K people, who he said were feeling hurt after the Centre’s move to downgrade the historical and full-fledged State into two Union Territories without their consent. “The Centre has to address that disconnect, at the right earnest, keeping in view the urges and aspirations of the people,” he said.Bhalla asserted that Congress is the only viable alternative to the “divisive policies” of the BJP which he said, “has vitiated the political, social, secular, and democratic atmosphere in the country and Jammu and Kashmir”.“Congress party is committed to restoring the lost glory of the state when it will be in government with the blessings of aggrieved citizens of J&K,” he said.

Bhalla demanded holding of early assembly elections in J&K followed by restoration of full statehood with constitutional guarantees.He also slammed Centre’s deliberate move to deny people their democratic rights to enact different laws from time to time.He hit out at Centre for failing people of J&K on all fronts while  expressing serious concern over the unremitting disconnect between the administration and the people in absence of the democratic setup in J&K and blamed BJP for hiding behind its failures.

Congress Party is doing principle-based politics and won’t compromise on people aspirations, Bhalla said and urged the Govt to fulfill its promise of development and employment, as people of J&K have suffered tremendous hardships due to the ugliest situation. BJP government has failed to control inflation and fulfill promises made. Our youth should support and trust congress leadership from grassroots to national level, he said. Bhalla said that only congress can save the idea of India where each individual can live life with dignity.We promise that congress will stop this growing inflation and will adopt public friendly policies where everyone can get equal benefit and not a few crony capitalists will eat up the wealth of taxpayers,” Bhalla said.