PM disappointed J&K people by remaining mute on burning issues: Bhalla

Jammu, February 20:- Former Minister and JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi disappointed the people of Jammu and Kashmir by not spelling out any roadmap for safeguarding the jobs and lands of the permanent residents, granting statehood, addressing the burgeoning unemployment problem, ending developmental inertia and tackling the selective attacks by terrorists in the Valley.

Reacting to the speech delivered by the Prime Minister at MAM Stadium in Jammu district on Tuesday, the former Minister, in a statement, said that the youth were expecting a big employment package, given the promises held out by the BJP in 2014 and 2019 but not speaking a word is anti-climax of the visit. He said the educated employed are not only struggling for some sort of sustenance but are also worried about their share in the jobs being usurped by the outsiders.“The youth find themselves in a very precarious situation with no hope in sight in the near future. Much disappointing fact about the speech was the stoic silence of the PM over the regularization of about 80,000 daily wagers, casual labourers, needs based, adhoc based in various departments who along with their families are suffering for decades,” he added.

Bhalla said the PM continued to remain muted over the promised restoration of statehood to J&K or instilling a sense of confidence among the people about restoration of the democratic process, which stands denied for nearly five years. He said J&K was awaiting a big reach out by the PM but the Central leaders are continuing with their gimmick and rhetoric, which people are increasingly realizing.The former Minister said that the PM did not list measures on how to ease peoples’ pain, their anxieties over fast growing inflation, rising fuel and LPG prices. This speaks about the indifference of the central leadership over the concerns of the common people, he said adding, that the Prime Minister’s visit to Jammu was a huge disappointment.

Expressing grave concern over the atrocities being made on the agitating farmers seeking fulfilment of Modi Ji’s guarantee to them before 2014 general elections and again three years back, Bhalla strongly condemned the Government for the brutal way of drone attack on the farmers to prevent their march, as if the Govt at war with the farmers who are `Anndatas’ of the country. Modi, while campaigning during the run up to the 2014 general elections as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate had himself promised to provide the MSP based on the recommendations of late MS Swaminathan, whom the BJP Government very recently awarded with Bharat Ratna. BJP should have implemented his recommendations as that would be an equally great tribute to him, added Bhalla.

Bhalla said the Prime Minister was expected to address the aspirations of people of all sections, who are seeking restoration of full statehood and early restoration of democratically elected government but it has proved that BJP does not bother about the people’s aspirations and hardships under the bureaucratic regime, not accountable to the people, he added. “All the people were surprised when the historic Dogra state was disbanded and downgraded unilaterally, in August 2019 without any reasoning but it was promised on the floor of parliament that it shall be restored soon aș things improve. All the people în one voice seek restoration of snatched statehood and early restoration of democracy but Modi government is least bothered about the people,” he said.

Referring to various developmental works initiated or completed, Bhalla said that it is welcome that government is pushing forward the developmental projects initiated by previous UPA and carrying Forward the developmental process but lot more needed to be done but the political initiatives are totally missing by Modi government especially restoration of democracy, he concluded.