Jammu, Aug 11: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Working President Raman Bhalla on Sunday vowed to defeat the “communal and divisive forces” in J&K who have been creating an “atmosphere of discord”.
“Congress will defeat the designs of communal and divisive forces creating an atmosphere of discord and will not allow them to play with the emotions of people for political gains,” Bhalla said while addressing a public gathering at Panchayat Rampura of Ramgarh constituency in Samba district.
The gathering, according to a JKPCC statement, was organised by former minister Yashpal Kundal along with Ex MLA Durga Dass.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said the Congress was a vibrant force in J&K and the people were viewing the policies and programmes of the party in a positive light. “My perception and understanding of the situation is that Congress will emerge as the largest party in the next assembly elections,” he said. “The Congress is the only secular and unifying force and it will continue to safeguard the secular fabric of the country and J&K.”
The JKPCC leader said Congress always stood for equal development of all sections of society as well as the strengthening of democratic institutions for devolution of power to the people for their better participation in governance. “Congress struggled for the implementation of the provision of 73rd and 74th amendments in the state to fully empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and finally it succeeded,” he said.
“It is the result of the amended law that women have got 33 per cent reservation in all tiers of PRIs besides Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,” he said.
Bhalla said the Modi government has “utterly failed to bring the prices under control”. “The common man is suffering due to unprecedented prices of all essential commodities and unreasonable taxes. All sections of society are worst sufferers under the BJP regime,” he said, adding, “Jammu and Kashmir tops in the unemployment in the country and the educated youth are frustrated due to wrong policy of the government. Lakhs of educated youths are without jobs in Jammu and Kashmir while the daily wagers, need-based, contractual and other temporary employees are protesting for regularisation.”
He appealed to the people to “look back to the history of traditional harmony, peace and secularism” and “reject the forces of exploitation and hatred for a better future”. “Congress is the truly secular, democratic, nationalist and progressive force to lead the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the path progress and prosperity along with rest of the country,” he said.
