MT News Service
Jammu, November 22:
JKPCC Vice President and former Minister Raman Bhalla n Saturday claimed that Jammu region has suffered unprecedented bias and prejudice under present BJP regime and robbing the Dogra land of is due and legitimate share its multifarious sectors and observed that Union Govt should not delay in restoring Statehood to J&K claiming that it will cost BJP seriously as has been witnessed in recent bye-elections results throughout country. This was stated by former Minister while interacting with aggrieved people of Guru Nanak Nagar area area of Gandhi Nagar Constituency here on Monday. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Block Mandeep Singh, Balwinder Singh Rinku, Vijay Singh Chib, Vijay khajuria vijju, Gurdeep Singh kaka, Ankush Gupta, K S Slathia, Ramesh Singh, Ashok Singh, Deepak Malhotra, Sushil Sharma, Nanda, Tony, Arun Gupta, Sonu Bakshi beside others.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla condemned frequent anti-encroachment drives, marking of yellow paints outside shops and dismantling of alleged encroachments in various areas had already fueled anger among the businessmen from the last several weeks. He condemned dismantling the front elevation and shutters of a prominent shop at ShivaJi Chowk during morning hours, said the protesting shopkeepers. He said that all the issues must be resolved peacefully.’ He said however, LG Administration is working in a wayward manner and does not even consider court stays in many cases. He extended full support of party to businessmen community,” he said.The marking outside the shops in Jammu City has been started by the JMC with yellow to keep the pathway clear from encroachment and the same is being opposed by the shopkeepers of Old City.
In a statement issued to mercury times, Bhalla said that history bore testimony to the fact that Jammu region had all along remained neglected in various spheres including employment, development. He said that most distressing was the fact that incumbent government gave persistent shocks to Jammuites by their ignominious surrenders on all Jammu related issues under the smoke screen of national interest. And all this notwithstanding the fact that BJP had proclaimed themselves as champions of Jammu cause, he lamented.Appealing the youth and students to strengthen Congress, the lone political voice of Jammu region, for the honour and Justice to Dogra land, Bhalla said that the ultimate solution lay only in addressing burning issues of people of J&K.
With the baggage of mistrust carried by BJP having become murkier and cumbersome, the people of Jammu were impatiently waiting for the early announcement of Assembly Polls in J&K to reply those who betrayed their collective sentiments. Those who were influenced by the pompous promises and seductive slogans had seen through the real face of BJP party and were desperately waiting to teach their mandated leaders a life time lesson. Not only were the people of the region cheated by the BJP over the false promises made by it but were extremely antagonized over the complete disregard for their honour and pride which the Dogras valued more than their lives. The people of Jammu had got the shocker of their lifetimes by the most cowardly conduct of BJP and the gutless posturing of its leaders with regards to sentiments and aspirations of people.
Accusing the BJP of having made unwholesome compromises by it for power sake ,Bhalla said that Jammu’s deprivation regretfully continued even after making blunders in J&K claiming that their decisions will revolutionized lives of people of J&K thereby belying the tall claims of the central and state leadership of BJP. “Leave aside the slogan of equitable development of Jammu region, the self praising leaders of BJP could not even get the collective demand of Jammu for holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday fulfilled causing the greatest disappointment amongst their own electorates. The Dogra pride received multiple dents under BJP rule which would continue to haunt the people of Jammu for years. “Is there anything more valuable than self pride? And is there anything ghastlier then insult to our honour?” roared Bhalla. BJP and its Cheer leaders remained conspicuously silent and tight lipped with Jammu related issues having been consigned to dustbin merely to remain glued to power. Where were they who swore by the sovereignty and nationalism at the drop of hat and nailed anyone and everyone for not doing enough for the security forces and for nationalist people? The so called champions failed to do anything good for people of J&K”, said Bhalla.
Pointing towards the lengthy list of betrayals of BJP on nationalist issues, Bhalla said that its leaders in J&K had caused the greatest disappointment to their own supporters as well by abandoning its age old principles.
With state BJP’s having lost its credibility in Jammu region, it was Congress alone which could fill the void and provide an alternative to the people of Jammu region said Bhalla. “Give us a chance and we shall prove as true soldiers of Jammu” said Bhalla adding that restoring the Dogra pride and honour is the most sacrosanct pledge of Congress Party.Asserting that trust deficit was responsible for the prevailing unrest in the country, Bhalla accused the BJP Govt of resorting to diversionary tactics so as to conceal its failures on the governance front.
Bhalla said that having failed to fulfil the promises made to its electorates, the BJP leadership was raking up controversies which had made the confusion worse confounded. Speaking on the occasion, he accused the govt of failure on all fronts with the country’s economy facing an unprecedented slowdown and prices of essential commodities rising with each passing day. He said that with capacity utilization of the Indian Industry heaving dropped to a historical low, the unemployment rate was at its peak. He further charged the BJP with raking up controversial issues only to divert the attention of the people from its failures on the economic front.
Seeking the support of the people in the party’s fight against injustice, and bias against Jammu region, Bhalla said that Congress would persist with its campaign to oppose, expose and to finally depose the BJP for its politics of subterfuge and deception. Inculpating Union Govt and the BJP in particular for miserably failing to address the Jammu related issues, Bhalla said that the BJP’s tall promise of “Achey Din” for the people before the Assembly elections had despicably proved to be ‘good days’ for them only. He said that all the overbearing slogans raised by BJP brigade had fallen flat which only unveiled the deceitful and two faced character of the BJP. He said that party which turned a blind eye over the aspirations of the people in the last seven years only bothered to keep the sinister alliance intact to satiate its greed for power.
Asserting that the BJP partnered Government in the State proved disastrous and ominous in every aspect, he said that amid the administrative disarray, the BJP was only indulging in flip flops and opportunist politics by sidelining aspirations of Jammu people.The former Minister said that in the last seven years BJP has failed to take any cognizance on the coveted projects in J&K. He lamented that the unemployed and underemployed youth of Jammu had been protesting and languishing in open for their genuine demands.
He reiterated his pledge to continue his crusade against the discrimination unless all the aspirations of the people were addressed and fulfilled in letter and spirit.