‘Will fulfill development mission after returning to power’
Avtar Bhat
KISHTWAR, Nov 7: Making a strong attack on the parties seeking vote on the name of religion and spreading communal hatred, chairman Democratic Azad Party (DAP) & former Chief Minister J&K, Ghulam Nabi Azad today cautioned the people against such parties.
Addressing two mammoth public meetings at Kahara and Akhyarpur of Bhalessa area of Doda district today Azad, without naming the BJP, said “Everybody has right in this country to frame a political party and contest elections but I appeal the people to reject those parties who seek vote on the name of religion”.
Despite heavy rains a large number of people attended the public meetings at both the places and listened their leader. Azad stressed on the people to maintain communal harmony, brotherhood and work together for the progress of this difficult, hilly and backward area.
He said “I am totally against those who seek vote in elections on the name of religion or exploiting religious sentiments of the people”.
The former Chief Minister while stressing on the unity among people and cautioning them against the divisive forces, said “without unity we can’t make nation strong”.
“For making the nation strong, contribution of all sections of society irrespective of their religion, region, caste and creed is must”, he added.
Taking present dispensation to task for development deficit, he said that their claims on development are totally hollow. The people of this hilly region still crave for good road network, hospital and school buildings, he added.
He said the people are witness any development taken place in this hilly and far flung area. “When I took over as Chief Minister of J&K in 2005 there were four percent roads in this entire hilly belt and during my tenure their number went up to 40 percent., Since then no development took place in this region”, he added.
Azad said it was during his Government that new blocks, districts and tehsils were formed in J&K and to eradicate the unemployment he started double shifts to provide jobs to the people. The laborers, masons, carpenters, blacksmiths and other skilled laborers in entire erstwhile J&K State got the job in various developmental schemes including MGNREGA which were underway during my tenure, he added.
Lambasting the Government over the present state of affairs, he said there is uncertainty all over and human beings are facing crisis. It is not a single part of the body which is ailing but entire body is ailing and in pain and those at the helm of affairs don’t know its prescription, he added.
Azad said people are facing abject poverty, they are idle and one is pained to see their plight.
The former CM said “I have visited entire India and majority of foreign countries and met the Kings, presidents and PMs there, I was pleased to see the progress of the people there but I am hurt of seeing that people in my region live in abject poverty.”
Maintaining that corner stone of his party is secularism and justice to all irrespective of their religion, region and caste, Azad said “My doors are open to all”. He said “We need such politics and politicians who can read our pulse and feel our pain as every human being and every community is crying with pain”.
He assured the people that on his return to power , he will fulfill the mission of development initiated by him during the course of his short term as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. He further added that the removal of unemployment , stepping up of development which includes schools, colleges , hospitals and availability of roads and regular supply of electricity will be priorities of his Government after coming to power.
In spite of heavy rains and inclement weather, he continued his meetings with the people in order to understand the problems faced by them.
He was accompanied by former Ministers, G M Saroori and Abdul Majid Wani, ex MLC Naresh Gupta, ex. Advocate General, Mohammad Aslam Goni , ex IGP, P R. Manhas , Pritam Kotwal and many other local leaders of the area including DDC members, BDC chairpersons, sarpanches and Panches.
Earlier, people came into large processions shouting pro-Azad slogans with party flags in their hands to join the public meetings.
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