PoK refugees are worst victims of BJP’s deceitful tactics : Bhalla
JAMMU, February 16: Lambasting the BJP-led government at the Centre for betraying all categories of refugees, former minister working president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Mr. Raman Bhalla on Thursday said that refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are the worst victims of the falsehood of BJP.
Addressing a function organized by Sardar Rajinder Singh, Chairman Minority Department of JK PCC, Mr. Raman Bhalla regretted that except for promises nothing concrete has been done to solve the problems of refugees once and for all. He regretted that since the 2014 BJP-led government at the Centre is brazenly ditching the helpless refugees in one way or another.
“ Instead of addressing long pending just and genuine demands of the refugees, the present government has adopted a callous approach on this issue human issue”, Mr. Bhalla said and recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised in 2014 to solve all issues of refugees once for all with a one-time settlement.
Congress working president recalled that former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had announced a comprehensive package for refugees of PoK.
He reminded that it was Dr. Manmohan Singh who had unfolded a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the Kashmiri migrants and refugees, including those from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The former Minister further said that during the previous regime in J&K in which Congress was a partner, a comprehensive package was forwarded to the Centre for a one-time settlement of all issues of refugees. “Instead of betraying the helpless refugees in one way or another, the BJP government at the Centre should implement that package in letter and spirit to solve all problems of the refugees”, he said.
Criticizing the BJP-controlled administration for its failure to provide basic amenities to the people, Mr. Bhalla said that the miseries of the residents of J&K are compounding with every passing day and those at the helm of the affairs are not serious in addressing genuine issues of the common masses.
“The Jammu and Kashmir is plunged into unprecedented crisis as the BJP-controlled administration has no time to solve basic problems of the people”, he said.
Bhalla said that Congress has an implementable roadmap for addressing the political and economic issues confronting J&K and the party would translate the same into reality with the support of the people.
Lambasting BJP for pursuing divisive agenda, Bhalla said that unlike other political parties Congress never tried to create regional or religious divide to reap political benefits.
“We tried to reach out to every nook and corner of the J&K to win hearts and minds of the people”, he said and added that Congress’s pro-people policies were positively reciprocated by the people from every section of the society.
S. Baldev Singh Wazir, S. Surinder Singh Dutt, S. Devinder Singh Bali, S. Binod Singh, S. Pritam Singh, S. Gurdeep Singh Lohari, Dr. Sadhu Singh Khajuria, S. Swarn Singh, S. Parveen Singh, S. G.S. Rali, S. Naseev Singh, S. Kehar Singh were the prominent who spoke on this occasion.
(NOTE: PRESS RELEASE PUBLISHED AS RECEIVED)
