Avtar Bhat  

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region addressing the Jammu and Kashmir Jan- Samvad, a virtual rally at BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. (UNI) Throw away 370 from your mindset: Dr Jitendra. ‘India will never compromise on national pride’

Maintaining that Narendra Modi Government will change the face of Jammu and Kashmir with development works to such an extent that people from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) will envy over it and they will wish to be part of India, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh said today. He also made it clear that India is no longer weak and it will not compromise on national pride while referring to recent border row with China.

Addressing a virtual Jan Samvad rally for Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said “We will change the fate of J&K with development works in next four years to such an extent that people in PoK will demand that they don’t want to be part of Pakistan but India. “This day when people of PoK will want to be freed of Pakistan’s occupation and be part of India, will lead to the fulfilment of Parliament’s resolution that the POJK is an integral part of the country” the Defence Minister added.

“Our Government has been successful in sending the message that Jammu and Kashmir’s development is its priority. Our effort in the next five years will be to change its face so much that people of PoK will feel envious. They will wish that if they were part of India, then their fate too would have changed,” he said.

“Let’s wait for what happens in future. There will be demand from PoK to be freed of Pakistan’s occupation and to live with India. When this happens, then Parliament’s resolution of 1994 will also be fulfilled,” the Minister added.

Amid a standoff with China on the Ladakh border, Defence Minister said that India will never compromise on its “national pride”, asserting that its security capability has risen and it is no longer a “weak” country.

Singh also assured the Opposition that the Central Government will not keep Parliament or anyone in the dark about developments on the border and will share details at an appropriate time.

“I want to assure that we will not compromise with national pride under any circumstance. India has become strong in its national security. India is no longer a weak country. Our strength has risen. But this strength is not meant to frighten anyone. If we are increasing our strength we are doing so to secure our country,” Singh said.

The Defence Minister said China has expressed wish to resolve the dispute with India through talks, and the Indian Government also has a similar view.

“This is also our effort to defuse the tussle between India and China through military and diplomatic level talks,” he said, stating that the two countries are engaged in military level dialogue.

Referring to the row, he noted that a dispute has arisen between India and China and some people are asking “what has been happening on India-China border, in Ladakh”.

From time to time, people have been informed about the ongoing developments, he said, adding that his Government appreciates the role of opposition in democracy and respects it.

Singh asserted that India is secure in its defence and is augmenting its strength, and noted that Rafale fighter aircraft will arrive in July, boosting its air firepower

Making a scathing attack on opposition parties especially Congress which has been saying that 370 was a temporary provision, Rajnath Singh asked the party why it kept this Article surviving for years together when it was not a permanent provision?

He also took Congress to task for its double speak on the word secularism and said during the Emergency days in 1976 the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had made an amendment in Indian Constitution by incorporating Secular word in its Preamble. “At that time it was the Government of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in J&K supported by Congress. Congress out of 75 members of State Assembly had absolute majority of 54 members and if the party had so obsession with word secularism why it was not incorporated in the preamble of J&K Constitution at that time” Singh asked while questioning the double speak of Congress.

Describing Article 370, which had given the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir special status, as a “blot” the Defence Minister said it has been removed due to the courage of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Justifying the decision, he said “Earlier, Pakistan’s and terrorist organisation ISIS’ flags would be seen in protests in Kashmir, now Indian Tricolour is visible everywhere in Valley”, he added.

Declaring that the abrogation of Article 370 was the political agenda of BJP, the Union Minister said that since the days of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) in 1952 they had made it part of our manifesto and fulfilled they commitment made with the people of country by abrogating both Articles 370 and 35- A. “We were criticised by our opponents that time that making the abrogation of Article 370 as part of party’s poll manifesto is nothing except vote bank politics. But the commitment made by us during Jana Sangh days was fulfilled by us within no time after coming to power”, he added.

Rajnath Singh said that India’s image has increased at international level after Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister in 2014. “Earlier maximum countries were supporting Pakistan but now the situation at International level has changed to such an extent that among Muslim countries baring Malaysia and Turkey no other Muslim nation is with Pakistan”, he added.

He said we are committed to Atal Behari Vajpayee’s formula of “Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat” and believe in the policy that Shri Amarnath Ji and Hazratbal shrines are given equal treatment.

The Union Minister said earlier West Pak refugees and Valmiki Samaj were subjected to injustice in J&K which was also a blot and now winds of change have taken place in J&K. “Today we are in apposition to announce the temperature in Muzaffarabad and Gilgit”. “With this some heat has been faced in Islamabad and they are going to do some mischief. But the Minister assured the countrymen that they will be given a befitting reply for any misadventure,” he added.

He also took opposition to task for criticising the Government and hoodwinking public opinion on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and lauded Union Home Minister, Amit Shah for brining this Act and made it clear that no Indian belonging to any caste, creed, colour, region and religion will lose his citizenship with the new law. “This law will only give citizenship rights to the minorities from Afghanistan and Pakistan facing atrocities there”, he added.

The Defence Minister said when in 1984 elections BJP got only two seats in Lok Sabha our critics said that the party will not sustain but our leaders Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani accepted the challenge and its result was that BJP got absolute majority in 2014 elections because “Facing challenges is our characteristic”.

He added remarkable decisions were taken by Modi Government during its six years rule.

Singh cited a number of development works undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir, including establishment of Central Universities, AIIMS, six medical colleges and said the Central Government has spent over Rs 2 lakh crore there in 2014-19.

He said bunkers were constructed along LoC and IB in J&K while IB people were given benefit of the reservations at par with LoC. Besides, Panchayti Raj system was strengthened in J&K who were deprived of their rights earlier, he added.

Singh said work on Delhi -Amritsar and Katra Corridor has been started. During last six years those villages were provided electricity who had no such provisions. Moreover 2.50 crore people in the country were given new power connections and houses were constructed for those who had no shelter as we had promised that no one will remain without shelter, he added.

The Minister said 10 crore toilets were constructed in the country during last six years while terming the Ayushman Bharat Yojna a great scheme of PM Modi saying no PM in the world has conceived such a scheme for its people. He termed it a great achievement of Modi under which a poor person can get free treatment up to Rs five lakh in any hospital of the country.

He reiterated the commitment of the Modi Government to double the income of farmers by 2022. He said earlier India had 9th place in world economy now it has jumped to 5th place. “We wish India to come among the top three economies of the world in coming four years”, he added.

Referring to the series of virtual rallies being organised by the BJP to address people in different parts of the country by using broadcast and internet platforms, the former BJP president said Indian politics has moved into “digital world”.

The country has seen all round development under Modi, with its economy rising and global prestige enhanced, he said, presenting a report card of the Government’s works as it recently marked the first anniversary of its second term.

With critics questioning the Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of lockdown, Singh said its efforts have drawn praise from organisations like the WHO.

“It cannot be imagined as to what our condition would be if the lockdown was not enforced”, he said.

He said J&K is second UT after Goa which has highest ratio in testing during COVID. Earlier Rajnath Singh paid tributes to all martyrs including those of Army, security forces, J&K Police and civilians including the recently martyred Sarpanch Ajay Pandita and termed his killing a dastardly act of terrorism.

Addressing the rally Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the change which took place in J&K on August 5 last year was beyond the imagination of any body. He said the opponents had said that there will be an earthquake and bloodshed but no untoward incident took place after the annulling of Article 370 and 35-A.

Dr Jitendra Singh said all national and religious festivals including Independence Day, Republic Day, Eid, Diwali and Holi passed peacefully in the J&K UT. He while taking a dig at Congress for opposing the annulment of Articles 370 and 35-A dares the party to bring back the controversial Article if it comes to power.

He regretted that some people still keep 370 in their mind and asked them to throw it away from their mindset as it has gone with lock, stock and barrel to never be re-enacted in the history of the country. During the present Government at Centre there has been no regional bias and both the regions of J&K UT got their equal share. Those saying that Kashmiris are still getting the major share must know that Jammu got more developmental projects during BJP tenure than Kashmir. He said while AIIMS Jammu will soon get the Director and the work on the project is in progress, the work on AIIMs in Kashmir is yet to start. Likewise Jammu got IIT while no such institute was given in Kashmir. Besides, Jammu got Biotech Park and it is near completion while in Kashmir the land for the same is yet to be identified, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh said in addition to it Jammu got maximum developmental funds during Modi Government so we should come out of this mindset that all has gone to Kashmir and maintained that the Modi Government is for ending the discrimination and treating both the regions at par. After annulling the Article 370 major foreign investment will be made in Jammu for first time he, said, adding a Medicinal Plant in collaboration with Canada Government is being established in IIM Jammu.

He asked the people of Jammu that they should leave seeing Jammu from the prism of Kashmir as those days have gone when Jammu was being discriminated against and in coming times the region will make such a progress which no one could imagine. He, while highlighting various developmental projects brought for the region said soon a Bamboo park will be established in Kathua district of this region.

He, while holding Congress responsible for plight of refugees said the party could make Manmohan Singh a West Pak refugee the Prime Minister of India asked it why the West Pak refugees putting up in J&K were deprived of their rights for seven long decades? He, while lambasting other J&K based parties advocating for autonomy and self rule said the slogan of autonomy and self rule they gave was for their dynasties and not for the common man of Jammu and Kashmir. Had it not been so they would have not boycotted the local bodies and Panchayat elections in the J&K last time, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh, while strongly condemning the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit, Sarpanch in South Kashmir district of Anantnag recently criticised the Congress for pointing fingers for this killing on BJP and wanted to know where was the party when lakhs of KPs were forced to flee on gun point by terrorists in 1989-1990 from Kashmir?. Kashmiri Pandits have always been with us and party is committed for their welfare, he added.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav was also present in the rally.

Addressing the rally BJP, J&K UT president, Ravinder Raina said that J&K got developmental boom in last six years of Modi rule and India’s image has increased in comity of nations. “We are now respected all over globe and this was possible with the leadership of Narendra Modi who tied the entire nation in one cord with a motto “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas”.

Raina said during Modi rule discrimination ended and every one considers him as his or her PM. The J&K was fully integrated with India with removal of the two flags and two Constitutions concept by abrogating Articles 370 and 35-A. He said with the annulment of 370 West Pak refugees and Valmiki Samaj got justice after seven decades.

In his address BJP MP from Jammu -Poonch Constituency, Jugal Kishore Sharma also highlighted the developmental projects brought for the J&K in last six years and said the projects which were in cold storage for last 70 years saw the light of the day during Modi Government.

The vote of thanks was proposed by BJP MP (RS) and former State president, Shamsher Singh Manhas while stage was managed by party general secretary, Sunil Sharma. BJP senior leaders Ashok Khajuria, Dr Nirmal Singh former Speaker, Kavinder Gupta former Deputy CM, Sat Sharma, former Minister and Ashok Kaul party general secretary (Org) were among prominent people in the rally.

Courtesy: Daily Excelsior:  15th June, 2020