Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 1: JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla today said that if the Congress is voted to power in the coming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, it will restore Statehood and “democratic rights” of the people of the Union Territory.
Addressing public meeting at Gangyal in RS Pura- Jammu South Constituency organized by JKPCC secretary Satish Sharma today Bhalla said, “We understand you are going through a tough period. Our national manifesto is clear that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will get their democratic rights back. It is a priority for the Congress and INDIA bloc to restore Statehood to J&K and democratic rights of its people.”
“You are not workers, you are family. In the history of India, after Independence, many UTs have been converted into States but there is only one example when Statehood was taken away and a Union Territory was created and appealed to voters to support Congress to save the State and the country. We hope J&K will stand with us in the elections,” he added.
Bhalla said that J&K has “lost its identity” under BJP and appealed to the people to support Congress in the “fight” for the restoration of Statehood. “BJP regime has destroyed Jammu and Kashmir in various spheres, as it lost its identity, status, right over jobs, lands, opportunities of trade and transport and business besides whatsoever selections and recruitment were done in the UT, witnessed corruption and scams,” Bhalla said.
“People have been exploited in the name of a bright future, controlled prices, and two crore jobs annually. But all their promises have fallen flat, except politics of hate and division. Jammu and Kashmir was a historical State with much better living conditions than most States in the country, but now it has been pushed into an atmosphere of political uncertainty,” Bhalla asserted.
Congress leader appealed Jammuites not to waste their precious vote in favour of BJP candidates whose main business to join election fray is to improve their personal fortunes and are trying to fool Jammuites and also making fool of themselves by indulging in futile and waste exercise. So called champions of Jammu cause have destroyed Jammu socially, culturally, politically and economically by sidelining Dogras to jeopardize Jammu’s general political and economic rights, he added.