BJP men asked to be offensive against Oppn
Avtar Bhat
KATHUA, Nov 22: Hitting out at opposition parties and detractors of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for launching a disinformation campaign against the party and its leadership, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh urged his party men to counter these parties and their leaders in their tone and tenor.
While addressing the BJP workers and party candidates for District Development Council (DDC) elections here today, Dr Jitendra Singh also lambasted what he called the self styled Dogra protagonists and accused them of denting the Dogra pride. “ Where were these self styled champions of Dogra cause who are now raising this bogey when maximum damage was done to the Dogra legacy and culture during the rule of Congress and National Conference (NC). These leaders remained mum at that time as they were part of them enjoying loaves and fishes of power”, he added.
In a hard hitting speech, Dr Jitendra Singh alleged that the Congress and National Conference, the two political parties were responsible for the oppression, imprisonment and torture of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, the tallest Dogra of our time and the same parties which had banished Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler, to exile and forced him to live and die in Mumbai’’.
The Union Minister said, the “Gupkar Gang” of Kashmir is matched by the “Guftar Gang” from here and quoted an Urdu couplet by Allama Iqbal “…. Guftar Ka Qazi Ban To Gaya, Kirdar Ka Qazi Ban Na Saka” which, when translated, referred to the man who spoke in the tone and style of a holy priest but whose conduct and character was not that of a holy priest.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it has become a fashion for some to taunt the BJP for cancellation of Dogra Certificate and asked, when the Dogra Certificate was cancelled by the Congress-PDP Government, why none of the so-called Dogra Ministers in that Cabinet had uttered a single word or resigned in protest but when they found themselves thrown out of their respective parties, they suddenly remembered the Dogra Certificate which they actually need for themselves now rather than for Dogras.
He said, “We shall certainly redeem the sins committed by them, but we will never let their sins stick to our forehead and we will keep reminding people of their treachery and opportunism”.
While lashing out at the Gupkar Alliance leaders for misleading the people on Articles 370 and 35 A restoration, he said the NC had three MPs in Lok Sabha and PDP had two in Rajya Sabha but why did not they resign their respective seats in the Parliament in protest when the Bill was passed?
He said with the annulling of Article 370 the era of discrimination has ended for ever and every section of society and every region of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh will get full justice and their due share.
He accused the previous rulers of NC and Congress of doing a great injustice with the people living on International Border (IB) by depriving them of the reservation benefits. “ The reservations were given to people of Line of Control (LoC) which constituted the vote bank of these parties while those of IB were ignored”.
“The credit goes to Narendra Modi Government which has undone this injustice of decades with the hapless IB people”, he added.
About development, Dr Jitendra Singh observed that in certain quarters and also some sections of media it has become a habit to say that they cannot see any development. Citing a sarcastic example, he said, when the same worthies drive in their vehicles across the Keediyan-Gandyal bridge to save 40 minutes of their journey through Khads, at that time they are able to see this Rs 150 crore bridge but when they sit before the TV camera they are unable to see this bridge.
To those, who say there is nothing on ground, Dr Jitendra Singh asked, has the network of upgraded roads and bridges right from Lakhanpur to Kishtwar in his Lok Sabha Constituency been constructed in the sky, if not on the ground.
About those provoking the youth on the name of jobs, Dr Jitendra Singh called upon the party men to go to people and tell how from time to time the Ministers in the erstwhile Congress and National Conference (NC) Governments, had taken money to make backdoor temporary job appointments and bluffed the youth to believe that they will become permanent automatically.
He said, “We are finding ways to help these cheated youth and at the same time, now the interviews for jobs have been abolished so as to ensure that hereafter the job appointments will be made on the basis of written test so that nobody can take money and use unfair means by manipulating the interview marks”. If there is a single youth from a poor family who qualifies for the job through written test merit, we will stand by him and not be cowed down by protests provoked by the promoters of backdoor appointments, he added.
Exuding confidence that the DDC elections will be won hands down by BJP, Dr. Jitendra Singh said “We have put up candidates who are educated, young and energetic”. He asked the candidates to go to the people and reason out on each and every issue. He reiterated that the BJP victory march of DDC election in J&K will begin from Lakhanpur, the place where Shyama Prasad Mookerjee had courted arrest for abolition of Article 370.
The meeting was also addressed by BJP J&K vice president, Yudhvir Sethi who highlighted the developmental projects and public welfare schemes launched in the J&K under Narendra Modi Government. He said Kathua -Doda Parliamentary Constituency witnessed maximum development during last six years with the efforts of Dr Jitendra Singh. He said BJP believes Sabka Saath , Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas besides serving last man in the last queue.
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