MT News Service
Jammu, November 18:
Jammu: Congress on Wednesday described BJP a party with an image of broken promises which is used to make hollow, rhetorical promises with the least intention of keeping their word. This was stated by former Ministers Raman Bhalla,Mulla Ram, Manmohan Singh ,Th. Balwan Singh, Hari Singh Chib Distt Rural President while addressing huge gathering on the occasion of nomination of Congress candidate for DDC polls in Marh constituency Rajinder Kumar (Happy).Prominent among those present on the occasion include Ashok Bhagat, Sarpanch Jagdish Raj, Dr.Vikas Gupta, Dr.Rajesh Sharma, Ch. Deva Singh, Kaka Lambardar, Ratan Sharma Chairman Gho Manhasa, Corporators Rampal, Shanta bhagat, Sashi Bhagat beside others.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla criticized statement of BJP leader on restoration of 4G, Bhalla today hit back at BJP and said party should stop teaching lessons of nationalism to its leadership. “We castigate BJP over its attempts to target Congress by mischievous interpretation and distortion of the statements of Congress. “BJP should stop teaching lessons of nationalism to Congress, whose leaders struggled and sacrificed for the freedom of the country and to safeguard its unity and integrity,” he said. He said BJP was trying to distort and divert the attention of the people from the failures of the Narendra Modi government and the real issue of grave sufferings being faced by the people across the country by taking anti people steps without adequate preparations and arrangements. He accused BJP of muzzling the youth by branding them as “anti-nationals”. “Whenever the youth of the country speak against BJP and their ideology, they are called anti-nationals.
Bhalla claimed that BJP did not make any efforts to relieve the weaker sections of their hardships. He said incompetence of BJP Government pushed back State in all sectors and no progress has been recorded in the core sectors like PHE, PDD, R&B, Health, Education, etc during last more than six years. He said that while the insensitive BJP failed in assuaging urges and aspirations of the people on political front, its record in governance was quite dismal. “The State was virtually witnessing mis-governance with government nowhere to be seen on ground”, he said, adding that if at all there is any visibility of BJP anywhere in the State, it was for all the wrong reasons of exploiting people and inciting them to fight each other.He said the BJP has been instrumental in adding to the miseries of people. In an atmosphere of uncertainty and political instability, the people of the state in general and Jammu region in particular are passing through most difficult times. If you want peace, progress and prosperity in J&K, you should strengthen hands of Congress. To steer them out of this predicament, the people must come out in large numbers and support Congress candidates in the upcoming DDC elections”, Bhalla said, adding that it will be a vote against the broken promises of BJP. Terming Indian National Congress (INC) as a movement to establish a new system of justice and equality, former Minster claimed that his party is genuine and credible voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir through its convictions and visionary policies.
Bhalla claimed BJP govt a “complete failure”, saying the government proven to be a policy and governance “nightmare” for J&K. All self-marketed myths of party stood exposed as the BJP government has turned out to be a complete failure that stood on an ever-mounting pyre of broken promises and U-turns. From 2014, BJP propaganda machinery wanted us to believe that they were the only magical solution to all vexed political and economic problems that others had only tried to solve in right earnest. Today, these myths about them stand shattered, Bhalla added.Not only have they broken every single political promise that they had made to garner votes, but their government has also proven to be a policy and governance nightmare for the state. He alleged that BJP used emotive slogans to exploit the sentiments of the people and “ditched them at the first sight of power”. Accusing the BJP of bartering away the pride and honour of people of Jammu region to satisfy its lust for power, he appealed Jammuites to oppose, expose and depose the BJP’s Juggernaut for its demagoguery and sheer opportunism. People were realising the futility of electing a government that was not only insensitive towards their problems but also responsible in adding to these on every front”, he said. He said Congress is the only destination for those who want peace to sustain and development to remain focused agenda of the government in the state. He said the initiatives taken in this regard by Congress governments especially the previous one has been negated by the anti-people dispensation. He said that Modi government and BJP has nothing to sell to the electorates about its past promises and on various problems confronting the nation, it is harping on the issue of national security by misleading the nation about the Congress stand and creating sense of insecurity and war hysteria.
Bhalla described Congress Party as an instrument of service to the people, which has remained dedicated to the cause of serving the people. He said Congress party believes in strengthening the people and is committed to equitable development of the State. He said Congress Party is duty bound to address the urges and aspirations of the people, for the fact, it is the Congress Party alone which has always taken care of the urges and aspirations of the people. Congress has been pioneer in implementing revolutionary programmes aimed at improving the conditions of the people, especially those living in remote and backward areas, he added. Bhalla described BJP dispensation as anti-poor and anti development, saying due to administrative inertia and lack of political direction the sufferings of the people increased manifold. The insensitive government pushed people to the wall, as unemployment has increased, prices have risen and developmental activities have suffered a huge dent”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Mulla Ram said BJP government in J&K miserably failed to live up to the expectations of the people. There was a strong resentment among the people against previous government as it has not fulfilled its promises made at the time of Assembly elections.There was anger among people. The BJP played with the sentiments of the people who voted them to power. People were not happy with their policies and the government proved to be a failure. Despite people hitting streets against governance deficit, lack of development and failure of the government to deliver on the promises made to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir, Govt did not move even an inch proving callousness of this anti-people Govt. Cautioning people against anti people policies pursued by the BJP Government, former Minister said that peace and development had become biggest causality since this govt had taken over.
Holding BJP government responsible for all miseries in Jammu and Kashmir, Balwan Singh accused government responsible of weakening democratic institutions in the state of Jammu and Kashmir due to which the people have lost interest in such institutions. Singh accused BJP of demolishing peace of the state by exploiting the regional, religious and political sentiments of the people . However, BJP took complete U-turn after taking over the power due to which the people of the state have completely lost their faith in democratic exercise and institutions.
Chib speaking on the occasion referred to the series of terrorist attacks on the forces in the state and elsewhere and the record number of infiltrations and martyrdom of our Jawans during the Modi regime and said that it speaks of the failure of his government on the issue of national security. Congress is committed for uncompromising approach to deal with terrorism and further strengthen the security along borders to plug the infiltration, whereas the Modi government failed to contain infiltration, cross border terrorism and control terrorism in Kashmir.He alleged that the Modi government utterly failed to plug infiltration and contain militancy in Kashmir which is evident from the prevailing security situation in the state and along the borders.
Manmohan Singh in his address said the developmental tempo initiated and sustained by Congress government during six years came to a grinding halt and all tall claims and promises delivered before and after formation of the government proved to be hoax. Similarly, the people across the state were facing hardships on account of utility services like power and drinking water, with rations becoming scarce at the sale outlets, especially in remote and far flung areas. He claimed that Congress is wedded to peoples welfare and will continue to strive tirelessly to better their lives and towards achieving the goal of peace, prosperity, communal harmony and friendship in J&K state.