Tarun Chugh an Indian politician from Punjab, is the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party serving as the in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir (Union Territory), Ladakh. In an interview with the Daily Excelsior correspondent, he throws light on a host of developments taking place in Jammu and Kashmir.
Excerpts of the interview
(Q): What according to you J&K has achieved post the scrapping of Article370?
(Ans): “The biggest achievement of J&K people, after the scrapping of 370 and 35A, has been that they participated in democracy in a big way. I want to salute the people of J&K who gave 21 lakhs votes in the BDC election. I want to give credit to our PM Narendra Modi who provides an environment where the people of J & K could get out of their homes to go for voting.”
(Q): What do you think the centre has done for the people of J&K post this voting?
(Ans): “After the scrapping of 370 and 35A, the people here have started getting their rights, especially the women, and ST. The people, who have been investing themselves for decades for the welfare and development of J&K, got the opportunity to be a part of J&K. The law which the entire India was following, the same will be implemented here – No girl would lose her rights if she leaves J&K anymore. All of this is due to PM Modi who empowered the people of J&K with this.”
(Q): When will the election happen for the people of J&K?
(Ans): “PM Modi in his speech on 15 Aug 2021 said that elections will be conducted soon in J&K after delimitation is done and he is committed towards the same.”
(Q): What preparations are being done for the same?
(Ans): “The home minister has ensured that elections will be conducted soon in J&K. Those who spoke big words about democracy were the ones who boycotted the panchayat elections. It is our government that promised to conduct panchayat elections and we did it. There was a narrative set to boycott the elections for so many decades in J&K. It is the BJP which got the BDC as well the DDC election done. I am proud that 22 lakh people came forward to vote in the DDC & BDC election to elect their own representatives. This enabled the growth of leadership in J&K’s future politics.
In order to conduct a fair election, we need to first get the delimitation done and prepare a fresh electoral list. But this is not an easy process. Any opposition party or organization can challenge the electoral list via form 7A. However, deliberate attempts are being made to create confusion and mistrust among the citizens who would not succeed.
(Q): More than 25 lakhs voters are in the electoral list. The question is where is this 25 lakhs coming from?
(Ans): “This is because girls and women are getting their rights. The women and girls who mere married outside to J&K will now get the right to vote in their constituency in J&K which was earlier not given. For many years, they were stripped of their rights to vote for Vidhan Sabha elections. This right has now been given and hence the increased number in electoral list is reflected. For the last seven decades, all over INDIA there were two electoral lists formed – 1)Lok Sabha & Vidhan Sabha 2) Panchayat and Corporate Elections. But J&K was the only state where three lists were formed. If a person who is a citizen of some other state but is residing in J&K, was although allowed to cast vote in the Lok Sabha Elections, but however could not participate in Vidhan Sabha elections. J&K was not implementing 140 laws for public welfare. RTI was never implemented in J&K since its inception. It is our government which has reinstated these basic rights. It is these rights that empower a democracy.”
(Q): It was promised that the youth of J&K will be given employment post the scrapping of 370. How and when will this be done?
(Ans): “All those who are questioning the development in J&K, I personally ask them to come with me and I will show them where industries are being set up, and roads are being laid. It is our government which established IIM and two AIIMS in J&K. As many as 60,000 applications for setting up industries have been received. Around Rs 50,000 cr worth development works are being done. Even during covid times, BJP workers were providing ventilators, oxygen, medicines, food across J&K.”
(Q): There is an ongoing narrative that today the fear in the minds of J&K citizens have increased. How would you respond to that?
(Ans): “We are in Jammu; it is your news platform and Omar Abdullah spoke for around one hour and nobody objected him. Be it Mehbooba Mufti, or Tarigami, no one stops them from speaking.
There is fake fear that is being propagated. Our government is trying to get rid of the poison spread by the three families in J&K that ruined the life and future of citizens. They created a terrorism capital in J&K and supported stone pelters. Today not one stone pelter is seen in J&K. There is fear in the minds of terrorists not the citizens.”
(Q): Your views on the Bharat Jodo Yatra?
(Ans): “I believe if those parties coming together, who have been responsible for partition and are continuously working towards it, to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ or ‘Vande Mataram’ then it is the victory of BJP’s agenda. The Modi government does not split India based on regions or religions. We provided schemes like ujjwala, har ghar sauchalaya, ayushman bharat, awas yojna irrespective of religion.”
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