‘PM brought grassroots democracy in J&K’
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, July 10: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that Congress should express its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling their promise by removing Article 370.
While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here in Srinagar, Dr Singh said: “Now that Modi has successfully done it, opposition parties should express their gratitude instead of making it a matter of discussion.”
“I fail to understand the purpose behind discussing Article 370. The people who introduced it, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, considered it temporary and even labelled it as such,” he said. Click here to watch video
“During a discussion in the constituent Assembly, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had asked Prime Minister Nehru if there should be a debate on it, to which Panditji responded that it would eventually fade away on its own, but they could not make it happen,” the Minister said.
Dr Singh said that those who question the BJP’s commitment to democracy should take a closer look at their own governance failures and how they are killing people. “Furthermore, there is a complete breakdown of law and order, and state-sponsored terrorism is rampant. These instances of political hypocrisy, governance failures and state terrorism are unacceptable in any democratic society,” he said.
To a question on Article 370 petitions coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court tomorrow, the Minister said: “Whether the hearing takes places or not, Article 370 was written in the Constitution and in the same Constitution, it was written that it is a temporary provision.”
Asked about opposition parties here claiming lack of democracy in the Union Territory, Dr Singh said Modi had brought grassroots democracy to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time.
“The democratic set up is already there, Panch, Sarpanches are there. We have BDCs and DDCs also. This credit also goes to Modi that for the first time, district councils have been set up here. The issue is that there was no democracy earlier. The grassroots democracy has come due to Modi,” he added.
About the poll violence in West Bengal, Dr Singh said it cannot be tolerated in a democracy. “The unfortunate incidents in Bengal are condemnable on three counts. It exposes the political hypocrisy. Those who said democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra, see how they are murdering it in Bengal. Law and order and governance has failed, and unleashing of state terrorism. The Government is itself involved in this bloodshed. Such situation cannot be tolerated in a democratic country. The concerned departments and authorities will take appropriate action,” he added.
Showering praises on PM Modi for holistic development of the country, the Minister said India will become fourth country in the world to land on the moon.
“When it comes to space, our spaceship will land on the moon in just four days, and our space exploration efforts have been ongoing for quite some time. However, Modi has given it a new dimension by opening it up to public-private partnerships, resulting in the emergence of nearly 300-400 startups in the space sector over the past four years,” he said.
Dr Singh said that for the past nine years, all of Prime Minister Modi’s public schemes have focused on women and youth. “Whether it is the Ujjwala Yojna, the construction of toilets, the Mudra Yojna for the youth, or the startup scheme, Modi has not only created new opportunities but also fostered a new culture,” he said.
“He has made people realize that employment is not limited to government jobs. Prior to 2014, there were only 350-400 startups in the country, but now the number has exceeded 1 lakh. This demonstrates the untapped potential, aspirations, and dreams that the youth always had, but lacked the environment that Modi has now provided,” he said.
The Minister said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir have long been recognized for their intelligence, and it is a grave injustice to have deprived them of the abundant opportunities that were available. “Today, we can witness the youth of this region excelling in various fields, including civil services and startups, particularly in the agriculture sector,” he said.
Dr Singh said that the purple revolution started from J&K and spread across the country. “More than 3000 individuals associated with agriculture are earning lakhs, indicating that these untapped resources were hindered by terrorism, preventing their full exploration for the past 20-25 years,” he said.
“I am confident that in the next 25 years, Jammu and Kashmir will play a significant role in the country’s economy the unexplored resources of the Himalayas will have an important role to play,” he added.
“As a citizen, I can confidently say that the common people of Srinagar aspire to move forward as part of Modi’s journey. We have committed a great disservice by denying the youth opportunities, but I believe the fear that held them back has now gone. In the future, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir will contribute immensely to the progress of our nation. They possess the capability, potential and determination to work towards a better future,” he said.
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