Undemocratic to deprive people of elected govt for a long time: Bhalla

Says Officers cannot run government for more than six months

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Working President Raman Bhalla on Sunday accused the BJP of depriving the people of Jammu and Kashmir of the elected government for the last five years.He said the Election Commission is under the constitutional obligation to hold assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir as the last time elections were conducted in J&K was in 2014. “Since then, no assembly polls were held here,” he said while interacting with the people at Sanjay Nagar Ward-1 after inaugurating construction of protection wall  near Fateh Singh Sahaib Gurdwara Sanjay Nagar Jammu in presence of Dwarka Choudhary. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Bachan Singh KAS Retd Labour Commissioner and President of Gurdwara Sahaib , Satinder Singh Ex President of Gurdwara Sahaib , Balbir Singh , Tersem Lal ,  Kulbir Singh , joginder Singh Retd AEE, Deep Raj Retd Capt , Ashok Kumar, UEED staff, sanitation staff of the Ward and other local people of the ward .

On the occasion, Bhalla said, “Except for the Opposition, there is nobody in Jammu and Kashmir while the government dictates the terms and doesn’t take people or political leaders on board. The government only knows how to harass people. When we tried to meet the government, it didn’t oblige. The time has come for the assembly elections in J&K and it is undemocratic to deprive the people of an elected government for a long time.”

Bhalla said Congress believes in democratic values and will ensure that various pro-people initiatives are launched to benefit the weaker sections of people in our society if elected to power.The Congress leader also accused the government of failing to create diverse economic opportunities in various sectors including tourism, agriculture and horticulture so that the economy of common people improves.

Bhalla said it was the second-longest period of Presidential rule in the country since Independence. “Still, many in Jammu and Kashmir wait eagerly to vote because no place has suffered so much for the right to vote as J&K. There is a continuous denial of democracy in J&K after it was stripped of its statehood. With five years under direct Central rule, there is still no clarity on when the assembly polls would be held in the Union Territory,” he said.He urged the people to support Congress saying, “Only this party can fight the wrong policies and politics of diversion and hate of the BJP in the whole country”.

 “Democratic setup means elected representatives become MLAs and run the government because in a democracy this work can be done by elected representatives,” he added.“In India or elsewhere in the world , officers cannot run the government for more than six months,” said Bhalla.Bhalla appealed the workers to prepare for Local Body elections and strengthen the party in the district.Coming down heavily on BJP, he said, the party befooled the people with their false promises and they completely failed to fulfil the promises made with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The first time rule under BJP proved to be worse of its kind where the common masses were suffering and ruling class enjoyed royal lifestyle.

“They never care for Jammu where from they got their votes. The people who voted them to power faced frequent power cuts, lack of drinking water supply, price rise of essential commodities, failed to deal with Pakistan on borders, due to which many soldiers got martyred in absence of strong foreign policy,” he alleged. He said that BJP has brought Jammu and Kashmir at a stage with one region is stood against other. “It was Congress Government which always kept different regions united as one unit. There was equal share in development and employment without any disparity,” he said, while praising the people friendly policy of the previous Congress Government.

Bhalla hoped that the Congress is first choice of people of Jammu and Kashmir and there is a strong need to work on ground to strengthen the party so that next Government will be formed by the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir.  He said Congress will continue to fight anti- people policies of the Centre and LG’s Administration in J&K UT, besides defeating the challenges faced on various fronts especially, misleading politics of BJP.“Party is supreme and every worker is bound to further strengthen it at grass roots level and serve people as Congress has the legacy of serving and strengthening the people,” Bhalla said.

Former Minister said Congress will form next government in Jammu and Kashmir. He said bureaucratic rule has never been alternative to democratically elected Government. He said all major projects in J&K UT were mostly conceived and launched by Congress government. Bhalla said people of Jammu and Kashmir are eagerly, waiting for assembly elections and they will teach a lesson to BJP in J&K. He said Congress Party is serving people with dedication and without self-interest.

Dwarka Choudhary speaking on the ocassion said he and his party is available for service at people 24×7.He said that Congress is only political force in the country consistently playing role of healthy opposition in the country.He said “untoward things” happened in these five years “because of which, the situation in every respect in our state became worse”. “Our fight for the rights of local people will continue. But if you are in power you negotiate from the position of strength, so winning elections will help us to strengthen our resolve to bargain for our people,” he added. Since then, no government in power ever could match the development pace and all the benefits people take out of facilities were sanctioned or executed during Congress tenure only, Choudhary  added.