Targets 3 families, says we did in a day what they couldn’t in 70 years
Jammu will soon be education hub: Pradhan
Shah took forward tasks left by Patel: Dr Jitendra
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 24: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today declared that terrorism will be wiped out and none will be allowed to disrupt peace in Jammu and Kashmir even as he launched frontal attack on three families albeit without naming Abdullahs and Muftis saying they just exploited the people for 70 years while Narendra Modi Government has unleashed a new era of development in the Union Territory.
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He said the days are gone when there used to be discrimination with Jammu region and now both Jammu and Kashmir divisions are progressing equally and together they will also take India forward.
Addressing a massive public rally at Bhagwati Nagar here this afternoon, his first in Jammu after abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A and bifurcation of erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, Shah said Modi Government has started a new phase of development in J&K but attempts are being made by inimical elements to create a hurdle.
“Jammu is the land of Mandirs, Mata Vaishno Devi, Pt Prem Nath Dogra and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s sacrifice. I assure you that the Government won’t allow disruptors of peace to succeed. None will be allowed to create hurdles in Jammu and Kashmir’s journey of development. J&K has a special place in the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shah said in his nearly half-an-hour long speech in the presence of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha besides thousands of jubilant people gathered to hear him.
He declared that the Government is committed to wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and put an end to civilian killings.
Referring to the creation of 4500 Youth Clubs in which 35,000 youth have benefitted, the Home Minister said the militants won’t be able to do anything if these youth stand up and work for Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah cited figures to assert that level of the violence is going down in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Still, we are not satisfied. We want to building such a situation that not a single person loses his life and the terrorism is wiped out,” he added.
In an apparent reference to the killing of 11 civilians by militants in targeted attacks across Kashmir this month, he said some people are raising questions about the prevailing security situation in the UT but “I want to answer them with facts and figures”.
“Between 2004 and 2014, a total of 2,081 civilians were killed with average deaths of 239 annually. From 2014 till September this year, 239 civilians unfortunately lost their lives which accounted 30 deaths per year. The figures are down,” he added.
Shah without naming the Congress, National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said the three families are answerable to the people for their failure to develop Jammu and Kashmir over the past seven decades.
“We have launched Rs 15,000 crore worth development projects in Jammu and Kashmir. These three families clubbing their rule won’t have launched such a large number of projects. These three families gave just 87 MLAs and six MPs but Modi Government gave 30,000 elected representatives to Jammu and Kashmir people,” he said referring to the elections held to the District Development Councils, Block Development Councils and Panchayats after imposition of the Central rule in J&K..
Targeting the three families, he said they were asking what the Government is going to give to J&K. “We have a long list of what we have given to J&K and the people know it very well but the people of J&K are demanding an answer from them as to what they have given to J&K despite ruling the erstwhile State for the past seven decades. Have you thought of anyone else other than your own family members”, he asked.
He said a new phase of development has started in Jammu and Kashmir which cannot be stopped by anyone.
“Jammu and Kashmir is placed in the heart of the Prime Minister and under his Government, there will be no injustice, discrimination or appeasement,” he added.
“The three families used to say who will come and invest in J&K…. Till date, we have got an investment of Rs 7,000 crore in Jammu and Rs 5,000 crore in Kashmir. And when we came out with a new industrial policy, the three families who have deprived the people of J&K of various benefits, started raising questions,” the Union Home Minister said.
While Rs 12,000 crore worth of investment has already come to the Union Territory, the Government aims at a total of Rs 51,000 crore by the end of 2022 to provide five lakh jobs to the local youth.
He said soon after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he released a Rs 55,000-crore financial package, of which Rs 33,000 crore has already been spent on various developmental projects.
Listing various steps taken since the formation of the BJP Government at the Centre, he said five lakh jobs are being created in Jammu and Kashmir, while 55,000 people have been provided Government jobs in the past two years through Service Selection Board.
Shah said the “discriminatory” Article 370 was done away because of the personal efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill the dream of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
Modi also restored the grass-root level democracy and started a new phase of development in Jammu and Kashmir, where lakhs of people faced injustice under the garb of Article 370, he added.
“After a long gap, I have come to meet my brothers and sisters in Jammu. I was a little bit tense because of the inclement weather and was not sure of meeting you. But seeing the blessing of the Mata Vaishno Devi, the Sun came out and we came together,” the Home Minister said.
Heavy day-long rains on Saturday had cast a shadow over the scheduled public meeting. However, the improvement in the weather led to the successful rally which was attended by thousands of people, who raised high pitch sloganeering in favour of the BJP and Amit Shah.
“Today is the birth anniversary of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, a leader from J&K who worked for total integration of the State with India along with Mukherjee by raising the slogan of ‘Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan and Ek-Pradhan’.
“On August 5, 2019, Modi-led Government took a historic decision and revoked the discriminatory Article 370 paving the way for the development of lakhs of people of J&K who have faced injustice over the years…It was our dream, the dream of Mukherjee and Dogra and we are happy that this dream was fulfilled in our lifetime and it was only possible because of Modi,” Shah said.
He said the credit for setting up grass-root level democracy for the first time in 70 years goes to the BJP which conducted a successful Panchayat and Block and District Development Council along with Urban Local Bodies’ polls.
“Anyone can become a Minister and even Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. The Paharis were being used as a vote bank but not given due representation. Now even their representative stands a chance to be the Chief Minister,” he said.
He said with the revocation of the controversial Article, the people who have suffered immensely and faced injustice have been given their due rights.
“Now the Sikhs, Mahajans, Khatris and like others have got the right to buy and sell land, West Pakistani refugees, Gorkhas, Valmikis got the citizenship rights and even various other communities including Gujjars and Paharis who were deprived of reservation rights and benefits of Forests Act got the benefits guaranteed by the Constitution to them,” he said, adding the women also got their rights back with the abrogation of the Article 370.
Various Central Laws were implemented in Jammu and Kashmir as the focus of the BJP Government is to ensure development and prosperity of every citizen of the Union Territory. “Efforts are on to ensure gas connection to every house-hold along with electricity and water tap connections.”
He said Modi Government sanctioned Rs 35,000 crore worth of projects for completion of various hydro electric projects, which shows the Prime Minister’s priority and the love for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah referred to the opening of Medical Colleges, setting up of Nursing Training Institutions and AIIMS and said 500 students used to complete their MBBS degrees earlier but now 2,000 students are pursuing medical courses in Jammu and Kashmir with the sanctioning of seven new Medical Colleges.
Referring to the inauguration of new campus of IIT-Jammu, the Home Minister said he was surprised to witness such a beautiful campus and lauded the efforts of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Shah said he talked to the Directors of IIT, IIM and AIIMS Jammu and asked them to set up a satellite campus for training of local youth so that more of them get admission in these institutions.
He said he talked to the 35,000 youth who have got jobs, education and skill upgradation under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes and expressed hope that their active involvement would take J&K to new heights.
The Home Minister also talked about various achievements under rail and road projects and said people of Jammu used to take their children to Delhi to enjoy a metro ride but “they do not need to go there anymore as we are bringing Metro to Jammu and Kashmir within next two years.”
He talked about Delhi-Katra Expressway, sanctioning of Rs 700 crore for new Airport and said the Government is also planning to set up helipads in all district headquarters to promote religious tourism.
Shah also praised the Prime Minister for the successful campaign against the Coronavirus and said people were apprehensive how India will tackle the situation after the outbreak of the pandemic in view of weak health infrastructure.
“Modi fought the virus in the best possible way which led to minimum loss of life,” he said and lauded the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir administration for leading the chart of 100 percent vaccination of the targeted population in the delivery of first dose in the country and covering 50 percent population for the second dose.
Shah said Jammu and Kashmir is the only place in the entire country where all the people are covered by Ayushman Bharat PM-Jay Sehat scheme.
Addressing the gathering, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recalled that soon after taking over as the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had sanctioned Rs 1100 crore and 400 acre land for the IIT Jammu.
“Under the leadership of Modi, Jammu has got AIIMS, IIM and IIT,” Pradhan said.
With these and other Institutes, Jammu will become education hub, he added.
Union Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh said while Sardar Patel as Home Minister made Jammu and Kashmir an inseparable part of India, Amit Shah carried forward the tasks left by him.
“On August 5, 2019, Shah set right the grave human injustice and historic blunders by abrogating Articles 370 and 35-A and giving new direction to Jammu and Kashmir,” Dr Jitendra Singh, who addressed the gathering in chaste Dogri, said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the Prime Minister gave historic package to Jammu and Kashmir and sanctioned many projects for development of the Union Territory.
“Today is birth anniversary of Pt. Prem Nath Dogra. Real tribute was paid to him by Amit Shah by fulfilling his dream. Not only the Central Government sanctioned new projects for Jammu and Kashmir but also resumed the pending projects like Ravi Tawi Irrigation, Pakal Dul etc,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
He added that the Prime Minister has asked for removing ‘Dil Ki Doori’ between New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
“J&K is safe and protected under the guidance of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister,” the Union Minister of State in the PMO said.
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