JKPCC holds meeting to review preparations ahead of Local Body and Panchayat polls

Bhalla asks party functionaries to highlight “various failures” of BJP government

Jammu, September 16, 2023:-Ahead of the Local Body and Panchayat polls in Jammu & Kashmir, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla on Sunday held a review meeting at party headquarters in Jammu in which important issues related to elections were discussed.The meeting was attended by  Mulla Ram, Yogesh Sawhney, Balbir Singh,  Hari Singh Chib Kanta Bhan, Manmohan Singh, Rajnish Sharma, Amolak Singh, Shashi Sharma, Manjeet Jatt, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Diwarka Choudhary,  Bhanu Mahajan, Rashpal Bharadwaj,  Uttam Singh, Anuradha, PawanDev Singh, Shamsher,  Rajesh Sharma, Ram Mangotra,  Ricky Dalotra, Dewan Chand, Satpal Spolia, Thomas Khokhar,  Surinder Kumar,  Shashi Syal, Gurmeet Singh, Parveen Singh, Balwinder Singh Rinku, Sonu Dogra, Kewal Krishan Yogi,  Vijay Mangotra,  Balli Kumar, Deepa Singh,  Tersham Lal, Rakesh Kumar, Ashok Sharma,  Yashpal and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla asked party workers to gear up for the upcoming urban local bodies and panchayat elections, saying “deserving” candidates would be given the party mandate. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the worst hit due to the “wrong policies” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP and accused them of “snatching” their rights over land and jobs and “downgrading” a full-fledged state to a Union Territory. He asked party workers to get ready to defeat the “anti-people, anti-youth, anti-students, anti-farmers” regime in the upcoming polls. He also complimented the people of the Jammu region for believing in togetherness and religious harmony despite grave provocations by vested interests. The Congress leader alleged that the wrong policies of the Narendra Modi-led government have “ruined” the country, especially Jammu and Kashmir.

Bhalla  called upon the party functionaries to maintain close rapport with the public and highlight the “various failures” of the BJP government. He asked the local leadership of districts, blocks, wards and observers to get ready for polls.Without taking any names, he said parties exploiting the sentiments of the people on various emotional issues for vote bank politics need to be isolated.“They have utterly failed to deliver on their commitments, causing unrest in different regions and sections of the society. The people must identify such political parties and reject them for being their worst enemies and responsible for the mistrust and unrest amongst the people,” he said. Bhalla asked the people of the Jammu region to join hands and defeat the “nefarious designs of communal, divisive and separatist forces”.

Bhalla said   property tax, toll plazas, smart electricity meters and unemployment have added to the misery of people of Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted honorarium rates, delayed payments, lack of incentives for services in Covid-19 and inadequate facilities to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers. He emphasized the need for timely payments to meet their essential needs without undue financial strain.While mobile phones have been provided to workers for uploading relevant information, the absence of data charges presents a challenge. He also requested the release of Rs. 300 per month to cover data expenses.The Anganwadi centres are also facing issues with basic infrastructure. The lack of facilities such as matting, gas stoves, and furniture has hampered their ability to provide efficient services. He appealed for the provision of necessary infrastructure to enhance the centres’ functioning.

Bhalla said that Congress has launched campaign to apprise the people of the kind of hatred which is seen in society and the prevailing situation in J&K. We have presented certain facts against the government on issues such as farmer suicides, betrayal of the youth, and how their dreams were shattered by the central and the J&K governments,” he said.The anti-people policies of the BJP government at the Centre and in J&K being highlighted by organising ‘chaupal’ and ‘sabha’ in the villages, he added.’

Bhalla speaking on the occasion talked about inflation, unemployment, women’s safety, central government’s handling of China, rise in hate speeches, alleged capturing of institutions, and toppling of elected governments. After the successful conclusion of the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra, Haath Se Haath Jodo campaign brought change and highlight the issues concerning people, which are being ignored by the Modi government in order to hide its failures on all fronts.The campaign received an overwhelming response like the Bharat Jodo Yatra received given the Congress Party’s constructive role and strenuous efforts to ensure justice for people and bring the country back on the path of prosperity and development.

Mulla Ram speaking on the ocassion charged the BJP Government with failure to address all the outstanding issues of the refugees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).“The present Government is not serious to address their long pending issues of PoK refugees,” he said.He said after observing that BJP Govt for the sake of power and votes are dividing people on religious, regional and sensitive issues Congress Party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi started the Bharat Jodo Yatra to unite the people of India, which has witnessed overwhelming response.He claimed that the BJP government at the centre has failed to provide enough employment opportunities to the youth of the youngest country in the world. Every family of the country has been pushed into the fire of inflation, he added.He claimed that false promises had been made by the Modi Government, like doubling the income of the farmers, while opportunities are being created only for certain industrialist friends while, to cover up the failures, India is being pushed into a quagmire of hatred, despair and negativity.

Yogesh Sawhney, Hari Singh in their address regretted that since the 2014, BJP-led Government at the Centre is brazenly ditching the helpless people in one way or another. “Instead of addressing their long pending just and genuine demands, the present Government has adopted a ‘callous approach’ on this human issue. Pointing out that democracy is in decline, they conveyed that the Congress party will stand for truth and continue to fight for the people. “BJP’s failure to deal with issues like unemployment, price rise and the overall prosperity and security of the country is clearly visible in the current situation of the common people. Their hardships are piling up as BJP continues to favour the rich and neglect the poor,” they said.  They further said that the Congress party is determined to expose the hypocrisy of the BJP Government.

Manmohan Singh ,Thakur Balbir Singh ,Kanta Bhan, , speaking on the occasion alleged that the BJP was shamelessly misusing institutions as weapons to be used against political opponents and shut down the criticisms. “Corruption is at the heart of BJP’s politics and their neglect of national issues of importance is seriously endangering the welfare of the common people. It is not wrong to say that the middle class and poor are suffering immensely on all accounts and BJP should look into the mirror,” they said. They further stated that the condition of the youth in J&K and across India is deplorable. The Govt has failed to provide any sort of relief to the battered youth who continue to sit idle amidst disappearing employment opportunities,” they  said.