‘Special status did no good for common masses’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 29: Former national president of the BJP and head of party’s Study Group, Rajnath Singh today said that Jammu and Kashmir has surpassed all other States of the country in corruption mainly because of the ‘special status’.
These observations were made by Rajnath Singh while interacting with delegations at Batote on the second day of Study Group’s three day tour to the State.
“Instead of ensuring the welfare of the common masses, the special status conferred on this State by the Indian Constitution has given impunity to the National Conference-Congress Coalition Government to indulge in massive corruption without accountability”, he said, adding “Jammu and Kashmir has surpassed all other States of the country as far as corruption is concerned”.
Over two dozen deputations drawn from different parts of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar called on the Study Group at Batote to apprise the BJP leadership of their grievances and present memoranda of demands.
A deputation of member of Village Defence Committees (VDCs) demanded hike in their honorarium and regretted that Dileep Padgaonkar-led Interlocutors’ report has failed to address their issues while as deputations from Batote and other surrounding areas alleged that foreign company undertaking construction of tunnel between Chenani and Nashri has been influenced by the ruling party Member Parliament and MLAs to engage their recommended persons only.
The deputations of Muslims from Banihal, Batote, Doda and Malhari-Marmat apprised the BJP Study Group about the discrimination being meted out to them at the hands of the Government. “Lion’s share in the Government jobs is being taken by Kashmiri Muslims because of the partisian approach of the Coalition Government”, they alleged.
The delegations of Panchs and Sarpanchs from the region demanded immediate implementation of the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Indian Constitution to ensure full empowerment of the grass root level democratic institutions. The deputations of surrendered militants also apprised the Study Group about the problems being faced by them.
Rajnath Singh assured the delegations that their problems will be taken by the party in the Parliament and other forums. “The prevailing State of affairs in the State is not known to the rest of the country”, he said, adding “the Interlocutors have also not taken into considerations the issues of the common masses, who are suffering because of corruption, discrimination and mis-governance”.
“Even though BJP is not in power in J&K, the party will try to build pressure on the Government to rectify total collapse of administration and lack of accountability”, the former national president of the party said.
Rajnath Singh was accompanied by National Executive Member and Chief Spokesperson Dr Jitendra Singh, State Vice-President Bali Bhagat and State Press Secretary Balbir Ram. Satish Sharma was the inchange of the tour.
Earlier, at Udhampur, Study Group met delegations of Senior Citizens Forum, Kashmiri Pandit Migrant Association and Progressive Citizens Council.
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