Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, June 23: Asserting that the war against the terrorism in Kashmir has entered into a decisive phase and the victory will be ours, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh today said that common man in Kashmir is also sick of terrorist violence and wants to get rid of the same and once for all.
“Majority of people in Kashmir are sick of violence and want to get rid of terrorism,” Nirmal Singh said while addressing a seminar at Jammu Convention Centre here this evening organized by Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, New Delhi on the Martyrdom day of founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
He said there is a resentment over the killings by terrorists. Recently an Army officer and six cops including a SHO were martyred which was followed by martyrdom of a DySP and people have viewed it seriously, he added.
He said Kashmiris realize that separatist leaders are sending their children outside the Valley in search of green pastures, good education and jobs while the children of poor people are paid Rs 200 for stone pelting to destroy their career. “But situation is changing now rapidly as 400 to 500 children in Srinagar participated in Yoga Divas function on June 21.
Maintaining that there will be no compromise on the party’s ideology, Dr Nirmal Singh said that BJP will stick to its ideology and “we will not sit on chair for a second time if we come to realize that national interests are in danger”. “Our goal is strengthening the patriotic forces in the State and eliminating terrorists and subversives”, he added.
He said Narendra Modi Government is acting on the Vajpayee doctrine and this is the reason that last year during his visit to Afghanistan, Prime Minister visited Pakistan straight way for bettering and normalizing bilateral ties with the neighboring country. But Pakistan attacked the air base in Pathankot in Punjab and “to give a befitting reply we conducted surgical strikes”, he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that India has made it clear to Pakistan that no talks can be held under gun culture. Terming that there is a sea change in Kashmir after Narendra Modi took over in 2014, he said that for the first time NIA team raided the separatist leaders in Valley and quizzed the relatives of hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and another separatist Nayeem Khan. “Though they gave clarifications but the action under law of the land will definitely be taken against them”, he warned.
Exuding confidence on implementation of GST in the J&K by July 1, Dr Nirmal Singh said the BJP has made it clear that if the law is not implemented by that time there will be chaos in the State.
He, however, criticized the opposition for creating hurdles in its way. Turning tables on Opposition for creating unnecessary problems and misguiding the people of the State, he said a colony is being constructed in Srinagar by JKLI and opposition has started spreading canards that Sainik Colony is being constructed there.
He wanted to know “can’t a Sainik Colony be constructed in Kashmir for 5000 ex servicemen of Valley and what is harm in that?”
While recalling the Party’s poll manifesto, he said BJP could not get +44 seats to form the Government on its own and hence it had to make the alliance with PDP and despite some ideological differences an Agenda of Alliance (AoA) was framed for best governance and we are working on that.
“Today Jammu and Srinagar were declared as smart cities. He asserted that Jammu will become an independent tourist destination and our focus is Patnitop, Doda, Kishtwar and shape to developmental agenda. Besides, Jammu the equal attention is being paid for the development of Kashmir valley and Ladakh regions, he added.
Terming J&K an integral part of India, Dr Nirmal Singh said that for the development of the State, Centre sanctioned Rs 80,000 crore package.
While paying tributes to Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, he also recalled the sacrifices of Praja Parishad activists who laid down their lives in Hiranagar, Sunderbani, Jourian and Ramnagar in 1953, the security forces, policemen and other people who attained martyrdom in the State over the years for maintaining the unity and integrity of the country.
Earlier Deputy Chief Minister, said that the announcement of Smart City status for Srinagar and Jammu will ensure the planned and holistic development of these capital cities so that they are replete with every modern facility of urban living.
The Deputy Chief Minister was interacting with several deputations after the twin capital cities of the state qualified under the Smart City Initiative of the Central Government. In the first instance an amount of Rs 500 crore each would be provided to Jammu and Srinagar cities and afterwards an amount of Rs 3500 crore would be provided.
Terming the smart city initiative as a game-changer in the development of Jammu and Srinagar cities, the Deputy Chief Minister said that by this initiative sustained development of these twin cities will take place on the modern and scientific basis so that the people living in these cities get the facilities at par with some of the most developed cities of the world.
While thanking the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and the Union Urban Development Minister, Venkaiah Naidu, Dr Singh said that it is due to the accommodative and visionary approach of Centre that Jammu and Srinagar cities have also been selected under this initiative. He said that the officers of the State Housing and Urban Development Department also contributed in properly projecting the case of the State before the Central government.
Meanwhile BJP Core Group held a meeting with visiting RSS Sah Sarkarivah, Dr Krishan Gopal here tonight discussed the prevailing political situation in the State with him.
The RSS leader, while addressing the meeting stressed that main focus be laid to Jammu and the efforts be made to give boost to the industry so that the employment avenues can be created for the youth.
The RSS leader also said that history should be maintained at all costs. The Core Group meeting was attended by senior RSS leader from the State, Parshotam Dadichi, MPs Jugal Kishore Sharma and Shamsher Singh Manhas, Speaker Kavinder Gupta, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, MLA and Party president ,Sat Sharma , senior party leader and MLC, Ashok Khajuria, Party general secretaries, Ashok Kaul, Dr Narinder Singh, Pawan Khajuria and Hirender Gupta. They briefed the RSS leader about the situation in the State.
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