BJP deliberately delaying assembly elections in J&K: Bhalla

Jammu, September 28:- Jammu and Kashmir Congress Working President Raman Bhalla on Thursday hit out at the BJP for allegedly destroying the identity, status, and rights of the people and said the Centre is deliberately delaying the holding of early assembly elections in the union territory. He said that instead of addressing the grievances of the people, the government brazenly participated in photo sessions to get cheap publicity and just to befool the people, making false promises. This was stated by former Minister after inauguration of tile work in Deep Nagar Gurudwara of Ward-55 by Corporator Pritam Singh which was a long pending demand of the residents of Deep Nagar Gurudwara Kunjwani of ward-55.Prominent among those present on the occasion include TK Koul, Neeraj Kumar ,Onkar Singh,Charanjeet Singh, Manjeet Singh,Sunil Kashyap,Shammi,Bahudhar Singh, Kulwant, Bunty, Yashpal, Vicky, Rohit, Vijay besides others.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said “BJP government is intentionally delaying the holding of early assembly elections and restoration of full statehood to J&K. The people should gear up for the decisive fight”, he said. He alleged the incumbent regime has totally neglected people of J&K.”BJP has destroyed the identity, status, and rights of the people”, he added.He said that the politics of hatred is dangerous for the country and urged the people to reject the communal and divisive forces and strengthen the secular and progressive forces in order to strengthen the unity and integrity of the nation and the state.The region cannot be run through a remote control from Delhi,” he said.

Bhalla  said, “The BJP government has demeaned Indian democracy, which at one point of time was considered as the biggest among all, by showing reluctance on holding assembly elections in J&K fearing its devastation due to anti-people policies which it has been implementing on the name of reforms and development.”“Elections are due for long but knowing well about their probable worst-ever political debacle the BJP government is running from polls. This is nothing but the killing of democracy by a party which boasted at all forums about being champion of electoral reforms and guardian of democracy”, he said, adding, that “BJP is maligning the country by manipulating poll delay and denying the democratic right of voting to the people of J&K by deferring polls on one pretext or the other.”

Bhalla said the BJP’s model of democracy is “authoritarian” because it wanted to impose governance without holding elections thus marring the very spirit of democracy, which the Constitution of the country has guaranteed to the citizens. “The entire world is gazing at J&K and how the BJP government is denying democratic rights to people. He said that it is in the interest of one and all in the country and also BJP as a party to hold elections sooner than later as by saying no to polls India’s image of being a significant democracy is being tarnished at all levels,” he said.   

Bhalla said the ULB and Panchayat polls are in offing in J&K and asked party cadres to gear up for the polls. “Union government has failed India in its hour of need,” he claimed adding, the government has been clueless about controlling price rise, proved incompetent in handling economy and remained insensitive in dealing humanitarian issues.The Congress leader said BJP government has failed to address political and developmental aspirations of the people in J&K.He stated, while various projects are starving funds, the payments under MGNREGA remain unpaid.“Similarly, the problems of daily rated workers and other segments of employees are yet to be sorted out,” Bhalla maintained.He alleged that the insensitive government has failed to release salaries and wages to employees.

Corporator Pritam Singh said, BJP government has left no stone unturned to destroy the democratic institutions and stressed that the country needs fair and strong constitutional institutions. Expressing serious concern over neglecting highly educated youth of Jammu region, Singh said time has come for youth of Jammu region to launch  aggressive agitation and seek justice.He said that the general public including traders, businessmen, farmers, unemployed, families of the martyrs, border residents besides daily wagers, casual workers, contractual lecturers, etc had been bearing the brunt of wrong policies of Govt in all spheres.He said J&K was passing through the “worst ever misrule. There is total policy paralysis due to divergent vested political interests of BJP, he said.