Jammu, May 07: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said if his party comes to power, he will ensure equal development of all three regions including Jammu, Chenab & Peer Panchal region. Azad said he never discriminated between the regions and treated them equally in all manners.
Azad, however, said that he is still critical of the move of Article 370 revocation “since it hurts the interests of local people”. “In the present political uncertainty, DPAP is the only hope of people as I have never done the politics on a religious or region basis and for me, all people deserve equal opportunities with dignity,” he said, according to a party statement issued here.
The former chief minister said he was, however, concerned about the militancy resurfacing in the Jammu region. “I am disappointed to see the militancy is expanding to Jammu. It is detrimental to peace,” he said.
He also said that “the poor governance and lack of accountability” in the system is affecting the economy of people which has led to the decline in job opportunities. “Where shall our youth go now? It is our duty to provide them enough employment opportunities but unfortunately, nothing such is done,” he said.
Azad appreciated the people of Jammu for building rich secular values and said the people here must be cautious against all those forces that “have no contribution in the region’s development but play pity politics for their personal gains”.
According to the statement, various prominent leaders including the secretary of Apni Party Kulwant Singh from Marh constituency, Suraj Prakash Sharma social activist, retired accounts officer from Nagrota, Sarpanch Naseeb Singh, Vijay Bhagat, Ch Zaffar Ali, along with many panchs joined the party in presence of DPAP chairman on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Kulwant Singh said he joined the party since Ghulam Nabi Azad holds a strong political understanding and he can only take the Union Territory out of the present situation, the statement quoted him as saying. The way Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad worked in the past as chief minister of the erstwhile state and as union minister in various capacities, he is hopeful of seeing a fresh dawn of peace and development in the Union Territory once DPAP comes to power under his leadership, Singh added.
