Time to bring change through ballot: Congress leader Raj Babbar in Udhampur

Udhampur (J&K), Apr 13 (PTI) Senior Congress leader and star campaigner Raj Babbar Saturday accused the BJP-led central government of doing grave injustice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and said it is time to bring about a change through the ballot.

Addressing a massive rally here in support of the Congress candidate for the Udhampur parliamentary constituency Choudhary Lal Singh, the actor-turned-politician claimed that the people of the entire country were fed up with the Modi government for its “anti-youth, anti-poor and anti-farmers policies”.

The Udhampur Lok Sabha seat is going to polls on April 19. The BJP has fielded Union minister Jitendra Singh from the constituency.

“The BJP has done injustice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in every sphere and it is time to bring about a change through the ballot,” the Congress leader said.

Babbar also hit out at the government for launching the Agnipath military recruitment scheme and claimed it spoiled the future of the youth and dashed their dreams of joining the armed forces.

He assured that the Congress would abolish the scheme and restore regular recruitment drives once it is voted to power.

Former Union minister and AICC in-charge for J-K Bharat Singh Solanki, Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani, Lal Singh, National Panthers Party leader and former minister Harshdev Singh also addressed the rally.

Babbar said the Congress will provide relief to the youth, farmers, women and workers as guaranteed in its manifesto.

Seeking votes for Lal Singh, Babbar said he is a crusader against injustice and fights for the rights of the poor and downtrodden.

“Jammu and Kashmir was deprived of its status, rights and dignity by the BJP government,” Solanki said, in an apparent reference to the abrogation of Article 370 that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election rally in Udhampur on Friday, he said top leaders of the BJP were rushing in one after another to campaign here as they know that people have made up their minds to bring about change.

Wani hit out at the BJP and the Modi government for “destroying the democratic system” in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The rights of people have been snatched, resources looted and our state downgraded. The large crowd here the very next day of the prime minister’s rally is an indicator of the mood of the people who want to punish BJP…,” he added.

Lal Singh assured the gathering that he would continue his fight for the dignity of the people who have been deprived of their “identity, status, and land and job rights”.