Nishikant Khajuria
KISHTWAR, Oct 7: Amidst raging controversy over authenticity of surgical strikes in PoK, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today lashed out at those who questioned credentials of the Government at Centre or the Indian Army and appealed countrymen to rise unitedly against the challenge posed by Pakistan and its sympathizers within.
“Those who question credentials of the Government at the Centre or the Indian Army, are precisely the leaders who do not have the guts to call a terrorist a terrorist, but they find the Army a soft target for their vicious campaign,” he said while addressing a largely attended public rally here today.
“If you ask them a pointed question whether Burhan Wani was a terrorist or not, they will avoid and evade the question and give some philosophical reply, but they have the cheek to question the patriotism of country’s nationalist leadership,” he regretted.
In an apparent reference to India’s new offensive defensive approach towards Pakistan and its sponsored terrorism on Indian soil, the Union Minister of State with Independent Charge of Northeast said that India believes in non-violence but even Mahatma Gandhi preached that non-violence was not a virtue of the meek or the week. “Therefore, our belief in non-violence should not be construed as cowardice or weakness and this has been established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Lauding security forces Jawans who are guarding borders and exercising day-and-night vigil under most difficult circumstances, Dr Jitendra Singh said that this was a testing time for each one of us and we owe it to the nation, that regardless of our political affiliation or belief, we must unitedly rise to the challenge posed by Pakistan and its sympathizers within.
In a hard hitting speech, Dr Jitendra Singh also lashed out at the opposition parties for their alleged provocative references to Sangh Parivar and other nationalist social organizations. “If somebody sarcastically taunts you by saying that you receive your orders from Nagpur (RSS Headquarters), you should politely reply back saying that we are proud to take orders from Nagpur and not from Islamabad or Pakistan as they do,” he told the partymen.
“Such leaders who make these sarcastic and provocative references are actually suffering from a deep sense of insecurity and seeking their political survival by keeping the separatist lobby and Pakistan in good humour through obsessive and childish references to RSS and Nagpur,” he alleged.
Hitting out at separatists, he said, each separatist leader should contribute at least one son from his family for socalled “Jihad” before inducing the innocent youth to take to violence and lose their lives.
Describing Kishtwar as a glittering example of Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the people of Kishtwar and the religious leaders from both Hindu and Muslim communities deserve to be congratulated for not succumbing to provocation for communal strife.
The Union Minister, who represents Udhampur Doda Parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha, said that Kishtwar is going through a rapid phase of development and referred to a wide network of roads and power projects coming up in the region. He also listed the commitments fulfilled by him with regard to setting mobile towers en-route Machhail Yatra and sanctioning of Degree College for Padder.
On the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh announced two Community Halls from his MPLAD fund, one each for Kishtwar town and Inderwal. He also announced solar electrification at the cost of over Rs 50 lakh for village Bhattan adopted by him under Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana.
State Health Minister Bali Bhagat also spoke on the occasion and announced the setting up of a Nursing College in Kishtwar.
Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Sunil Sharma gave a detailed account of over Rs 600 cr sanctioned for PMGSY roads in the region and thanked Dr Jitendra Singh for the follow-up and coordination provided by him for securing the Central Grants.
BJP district president Akshay Kumar, Capt. Hukam Chand, Brij Mohan, Anil Parihar and others also spoke on the occasion.
Later, Dr Jitendra Singh also convened a Consultative and Monitoring Meeting “Disha” which was attended by Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar and senior officers of administration and police.
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