Avtar Bhat
JAMMU/HIRANAGAR, Nov 4 : Ridiculing the statement of former Chief Minister and NC working president, Omar Abdullah that the space of mainstream parties has shrunk in Kashmir valley, Union Minister of State in PMO with Independent Charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that actually NC’s space has shrunk in Valley while that of mainstream parties has considerably widened.
During an informal chat with media persons here, this morning before leaving for Hiranagar to present a cheque of Rs three lakh to Rasana protest victim and attend other party programmes in connection with Panchayat elections, Dr Jitendra Singh said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as Pan India party and its space has considerably wide-ned all over the country including J&K State.
He said this can be borne by the result of recent Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections in the State as the party emerged winner and registered a resounding victory in Kashmir valley also.
He said those who are giving such statements should know that actually the space of their party has shrunk in Kashmir and they have been rejected by their own people as they started siding with secessionists and anti India forces.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the space of Congress has also shrunk all over the country as well as in J&K. The BJP besides, Centre is ruling in 15 States of the country and is in coalition in three States also so its base and space has widened tremendously over the years, he added.
Making a scathing attack on NC and its leadership, Dr Jitendra Singh said that during last four years its leaders tried to create politics of exclusiveness due to which the masses totally rejected them. He also accused the Kashmiri Centric mainstream parties of pursuing soft separatism in the State.
“It is a pity when in power they say that Kashmir is integral part of India and when they are out of power they start speaking separate language to befool their own people.
He said another reason for erosion of NC’s base in the State is its boycott to ULB and Panchayat elections to befool the masses as on one hand it boycotted poll and on the other hand fielded its proxy candidates.
He said youth of Kashmir have seen through this duplicity of NC and other parties who when in power talk of India and when out of power talk about the aspirations. Turning tables on Kashmir centric parties, he said they are guilty of being unfaithful to their own people.
Dr Jitendra Singh also criticized the NC and other Kashmir centric parties of accusing Centre for diluting pre 1953 status of the State and alleged that most legislations of the Indian Constitution were applied to J&K during the tenure of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah after he signed the accord in 1975 with the Union Government and accepted to be the Chief Minister of the State. This means the NC was using the card of special status for its opportunistic politics and the party this way was deceiving its own people, he added.
He said the NC is bemoaning the rejection of their party by its own people in Kashmir as it is for the first time that people of Kashmir have given a space to BJP in ULB elections.
Dr Jitendra Singh also announced Rs 10,00000 from his MPLAD Fund for construction of Press Club for Kathua as demanded by media persons. He said that on the demand of the media persons of the district he has released Rs 10 lakh for construction of Press Club at Kathua and money will be transferred after the Panchayat polls are over.
Later he visited village Chanmorian in Hiranagar and met Vijay Sharma, the victim of grevious injuries sustained during the recent Rasana agitation, whom he had got shifted to Dayanand Medical College Ludhiana in a serious stage of coma and taken responsibility of entire treatment before Vijay recovered and returned home after several months.
Dr Jitendra Singh also handed over a cheque of Rs. three Lakh to Vijay Sharma, as an additional support during his rehabilitation phase.
It was a moment of great emotional outburst when Vijay Sharma broke down on recalling the miserable nightmare he had gone through and, the sympathetic and generous help provided by Dr Jitendra Singh during the most difficult period of time.
A large number of villagers gathered to meet Dr Jitendra Singh and complimented him on behalf of the family of Vijay Sharma. They said, they would never forget the human attitude of Dr Jitendra.
Also present on the occasion were BJP district president, Prem Nath Dogra, Advocate Vijay Sharma, Krishan Kant Sharma, Thakur Ranjit Singh and the family members of Vijay Sharma.
Pertinent to mention, during one of the protests held in the aftermath of Rasana rape incident, Vijay Sharma had sustained serious injuries, following which, he was referred to Government Medical Jammu but the doctors there advised his family to shift him to a better hospital outside the State. It was at this stage that Prem Nath Dogra, BJP district president Kathua stepped in and immediately got in touch with Dr Jitendra Singh at Delhi.
Soon thereafter, Dr Jitendra Singh made all the arrangements for the treatment of Vijay Sharma who was in a comatose state in Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana. He also deputed one representative from his office who followed up the patient at Ludhiana on day to day basis and provided whatever financial or otherwise help was sought for the treatment. Meanwhile, Prem Nath Dogra also kept a follow up and after several months of treatment, in spite of the doctors having given up hope, Vijay Sharma recovered and was in a position to be sent back to his village.
Later, Dr Jitendra Singh spent some time with the members of family of Vijay Sharma and assured them that he would be available for all kind of help in future as well.
The Union Minister also held separate meetings with newly elected Councilors of Hiranagar Municipal Committee and the candidates contesting the Panchayat elections. He also heard the problems of the people in the area and said all steps will be taken for the development of the area as restoration of peace and taking State on path of development is main priority of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s Government.
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