Jammu, Sept 24: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress Party, accusing them of denying reservation to Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
In an interview to a national news channel, Dr Singh said, “The matter of fact is that Congress had denied reservation to STs in Jammu & Kashmir, whereas BJP gave it after Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister.”
He questioned why the Congress Party had not granted political reservation to STs in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was due to vote bank considerations. He claimed that the Scheduled Tribes were not granted reservation because they were not considered part of the Congress Party’s vote bank in J&K.
The Union Minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with granting ST reservation in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time, saying that this is a major achievement of the BJP government. He warned that if the Congress Party comes to power, they would reverse all these provisions, including ST reservation.
Dr Jitendra also alleged that the Congress governments at the Centre and in Jammu & Kashmir had not granted even the normal and usual legitimate rights to certain sections of society, citing examples of the Balmiki community and refugees from Pakistan who were denied equal rights and citizenship rights.
“If the Congress Party comes to power in J&K, they would not only take back reservation but also snatch away the property rights of daughters and citizenship rights of refugee brethren by reviving Article 370 and 35A,” he said.
Regarding Statehood, Dr Singh said that the opposition is asking for something that has already been granted and announced. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly announced the grant of Statehood in rallies in Doda and Srinagar, and Home Minister had reiterated it in Parliament,” he said.
Dr Jitendra appealed for a vote in support of the BJP, saying that representation of the party in the Assembly will enable fast-track progress and development at a double engine speed.
