Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 10: Leveling serious charges on Opposition Congress and National National Conference (NC), Union Minister of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today accused them of “appeasing Pakistan for their political gains.” Click here to watch video
Dr Jitendra Singh, who was on way to Kathua to lay the foundation stone of Rs 15 crore Old Samba, Kathua (OSK) road, while talking to reporters here, this morning soon after his arrival from New Delhi alleged that both the parties are following “policy of appeasing Pakistan.”
Lambasting Congress, he said former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh had held a secret meeting with Pak Ambassador at the residence of former senior Congress leader, Mani Shanker Aiyar without consulting the External Affairs Ministry and discussed the agenda of talks. “There is a rule that whenever any leader from opposition has to meet the Ambassador of any foreign country, he or she has to inform the External Affairs Ministry which the Congress leaders avoided to do”, he added.
Dr Singh, while expressing serious doubts about the secret meeting held by Congress leaders with Pakistan Ambassador, said there were reports in a section of the press that the meeting was held to discuss the Gujarat elections and dislodging of BJP Government from Centre. “There is also possibility of soft separatist language being used by Aiyar and other Congress leaders in the meeting”, he added.
He said going by the reports of a section of press then it is very much hurting that Congress can go to such an extent and seek support of Pakistan in dislodging the BJP Government at Centre.
Criticizing the NC and its leadership, Dr Jitendra Singh took it to task for supporting Hurriyat bandh on Jerusalem issue which US has recognized as capital of Israel and shifted its embassy from Talaviv to Jerusalem. This way NC leaders were interfering in the affairs of External Affairs Ministry”, he added.
Taking a decision on the Jerusalem is under the domain of External Affairs Ministry, Government of India and by supporting Hurriyat bandh, NC was intruding on the prerogative of Foreign Ministry. “This way N C president, Dr Farooq Abdullah is not even respecting his own position and the statements issued by him last week, which though we have rejected on face of it, that Accession is based on three departments i.e Communication, Defence and External Affairs. If going by his statement and stand, also still the NC has no locus -standi in interfering in Foreign Affairs of India”, he added .
Dr Jitendra Singh said this way the NC leadership too was following the appeasement towards Hurriyat forgetting that the three Chief Ministers of party ruled the State.
He said it has been a habit with NC leaders that whenever they are in power they say Kashmir is an integral part of India and when they are out of power they speak in different tunes one in Kashmir, another in Jammu and third in Delhi which showed “double standards” of the party.
Accusing the party of misleading the people of Valley over the years, Dr Jitendra Singh said now time has come when the party is to be exposed before the masses for its double standards.
Dr Singh also took Congress to task for disowning its leader from J&K, Salman Nizami who of late has been very close to kitchen coterie of Congress leadership. He said it has been a habit of Congress now that whenever it sees any trouble it disowns those leaders.
“Salman Nizami has been very close to Congress leaders sharing dais with them and posing for photographs with the senior leaders of the Party”, he said, adding there are certain reports pending in some police stations against him. “Some say that he did not respond to certain calls from police authorities. The damage has been done and disowning him is not enough.”
He said the Congress has adopted same policy on Aiyar’s statements and disowned them also. But it is fact that Salman is a very close to Congress leadership and this being an evidence based era and age of youth so they can’t be misled by such things.
On the allegation leveled by Congress that EVMs were tampered in Gujarat, Dr Jitendra Singh said this is a strategy framed by Congress for some years now that whenever they lose an election they allege that EVMs were tampered but remain quiet where they win. He cited the example of Punjab and Delhi saying that Congress did not say any word when it won elections in Punjab and BJP lost in Delhi Assembly elections. “But leveled such allegations in UP and now in Gujarat where they foresee defeat and they started leveling such allegations. This is itself an admission of defeat which Congress has already confessed”, he added.
In response to a question that the State Government has no money for the children of martyrs when it is spending huge amount on separatist leaders and Government of India has not taken any stand on this issue, Dr Jitendra Singh said that for last seven to eight months there has been decisive action on this account.
Later while addressing the gathering after laying foundation of OSK road, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Old Samba Kathua road is stretched over the length of 14.70 km and would get upgraded at the cost of Rs 15 crore. The road would start from the take up point at village Saktey Chak and will move through villages Mahi Chak, Badala, Tharyara, Sumwan, Padyari, Changran and get connected to Kathua town besides providing alternate connectivity to the large rural area with Kathua town and National Highway.
He said that the road would get constructed under Central Road Fund (CRF) scheme involving the up gradation & improvement of the road and this road is the big achievement & burning demand of inhabitants of the area. He also said that upcoming road projects under CRF and PMGSY will also help in improving inter-state connectivity in Kathua.
Dr Singh emphasized that development projects of the Central Government were limited not only to urban areas but rural population is also getting their due share. He underlined the “border area toilets” project, the work on which was started in collaboration with “Sulabh Shauchalaya” along the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar Tehsil, a path breaking initiative in accomplishing task through voluntary involvement of various stake holders. He further informed that a total of 19000 individual bunkers and 4700 community bunkers will be constructed in Hiranagar near IB to safeguard the lives of border dwellers and their live stock during cross border firing.
Dr Jitendra Singh disclosed that Shahpur Kandi and Ujh Multipurpose project will become a game changer in di-stressing the water stressed areas of not only Kathua but Samba also. He also added that Kathua is bestowed with ample natural resources and it has the potential of becoming an industrial hub like Surat in Gujarat.
In his welcome address MLA Kathua, Rajeev Jasrotia said that people centric development is being carried out at Kathua for providing basic amenities to the people through focused attention. He also said that upgradation of OSK road along with Nagri-Fatehpur road and Bridge at village Pandori and Keerian-Gandial will provide a major fillip in road connectivity besides generating revenue, tourism, trade and employment avenues.
Rajeev also demanded early start up of channelization of Ujh, a detailed project of which amounting to Rs 75 crore has already been submitted with the concerned quarters. He further demanded funds for commencing lanes and drains work in Kathua besides approval of Rs 100 crores project for augmenting water supply scheme for kandi areas of Kathua.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Kathua district president BJP, Prem Nath Dogra who highlighted some path breaking projects brought by Dr Jitendra Singh for the development of his constituency in particular and State in general.
Earlier, 50 youths of Tamil Nadu under Inter State Youth Exchange Programme of Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) interacted with Dr Jitendra Singh and apprised him of various activities in which they have participated.
Senior BJP leader Th. Randhir Singh, District Development Commissioner Kathua, Rohit Khajuria, SSP Kathua, Suleman Choudhary, Director NYK, Sukhdev Singh, Xen PWD, District Youth Coordinator and other District Officers along with residents of nearby villages were present in large numbers.
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