BJP’s remote control Govt destroying foundation of democracy: Bhalla

Says Congress to restore lost glory of J&K if comes to power

Jammu, May 24:-JKPCC Working President, Raman Bhalla today said that Jammu and Kashmir lost its identity under BJP and appealed to the people to support Congress in the fight for the restoration of statehood.He 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. He was interacting with aggrieved people of Ward-45 Digiana in Udham Singh Nagar Jammu South RS Pura Constituency on Wednesday. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Shashi Syal Vice President INTUC, Dr Madhan Lal Bral, Shyal Singh, Balbir Singh, Trishan Bhagat, Jasbir Singh, Parshotam Lal, Sham Lal, Madam Guddi, Madan Chandal, Ashok Kumar, Jasbir Singh Jassi, Davinder Singh besides others.

 Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said that 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. He said that 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 the more delay in restoring statehood was bound to cause more disconnect between Centre and JK people, who 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 right earnest, keeping in view the urges and aspirations of the people.

Bhalla asserted that Congress is the only viable alternative to the divisive policies of BJP, which has vitiated the political, social, secular, and democratic atmosphere in the country and Jammu and Kashmir. He said Congress party is committed to restore the lost glory of the state when it will be in Government with the blessings of aggrieved citizens of J&K.He said that since BJP took over in 2014, the miseries of the people of Jammu and Kashmir have increased manifold. He said all the promises made to the people prior to the Assembly elections of 2014 remained unfulfilled. More than nine years have passed, but they (BJP) failed to fulfil any of the promises, be it the problems faced by youth, problems of the farmers or the problems of refugees and Kashmiri Pandits, this Government has done nothing to address those problems. Jammu and Kashmir is the victim of “wrong policies” of the BJP-led Central government which is out to “destroy” the very foundation of democracy, said Bhalla.

Bhalla claimed that anti-Congress policies adopted by the BJP government will not weaken our resolve to fight for the peoples’ rights and safeguarding their interests,” he said. “Only Congress party is capable enough to defeat divisive and anti-people policies of the BJP. The Congress will remain committed to the cause of working and strengthening people of all shades living in the country,” Bhalla said. “BJP government at the Centre is out to destroy the very foundation of the democracy in the country as it has done in Jammu and Kashmir aiming to rule it through remote control,” he said.The Congress leader further said Jammu and Kashmir is the “victim of wrong policies” of the BJP government which first dissolved the state legislature “to muzzle the voice, then not allowed the elections to happen till date in order to hide its nefarious agenda aiming to rule J&K through remote control, so that no genuine voice would emanate from the ground”.

Bhalla also slammed Centre’s deliberate move to deny people their democratic rights to enact different laws from time to time.”The tall claims about development of J-K, fake narrative built up with regard to employment generation, so called ‘back to village’ programmes, and frequent visit of Central ministers did not yield any results, reflecting the absolute failures on the part of the BJP government on all fronts,” Bhalla said. Saying there was “chaos and confusion” across the Union territory due to the “remote control” policy, Bhalla asserted that common people believe that BJP was “settling scores” with them by “depriving them of democratic rights, so that their voices could go unheard”. “But the time is bound to change. How long J&K would be left at the mercy of remote control policy of the Centre. Such undemocratic exercise will not last long, it will have to change,” he added. He demanded holding of early assembly elections in J&K followed by restoration of full statehood with constitutional guarantees.

Bhalla 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.“One fails to understand as to how long the BJP will abandon people of J&K of their democratic rights aiming to serve its (BJP’s) political agenda which is based on lies and deceit will be fought and defeated in a democratic manner,” he said.He said keeping people away of democratic process is highly condemnable and shameful on the part of BJP Government while reiterating that Congress party shall continue to fight against the policies of BJP’s diversionary tactics and policies detrimental to interests of common people of J&K.Bhalla asked the Centre to pave the way for democratic process in J&K, which is bound to address disconnect, disappointment and other immediate issues concerning people, who have experienced tremendous hardships post reorganization of erstwhile J&K State.

(NOTE: PRESS RELEASE PUBLISHED AS RECEIVED)