Udhampur, Aug 11: JKNPP State President and former minister Harsh Dev Singh on Friday said the only reason for elections being denied in Jammu & Kashmir is that BJP had lost its ground after the re-organization of the erstwhile State and was finding it difficult to face the masses.
“Since the BJP knew that it could not win in J&K, so it had chosen to deny the democratic rights to 1.30 crore population of the erstwhile State,” he said while addressing a public meeting in Panchayat Ghordi East of Chenani constituency.
“Preferring expediency over ethics and personal interest over public interest, the BJP had provided the most glaring example of political debauchery and deep-rooted corruption prevalent in its rule,” Singh alleged.
The JKNPP leader accused the BJP of demolishing the institutions of repute in the country and giving a “silent burial” to democracy in J&K as well. “The Centre had earlier dismantled the historical State of J&K and dissolved at least seven commissions including SAC, SIC, etc after downgrading it to UT. And for the last five years, it has kept democracy in J&K a hostage, which may not be revived as long as the BJP remained in power at the centre,” he said.
Pointing towards the multifarious issues faced by the people, especially in the rural areas of Ghordi Block, Singh regretted that there were no takers in the present bureaucratic rule for the shrill cries of people for restoration of even the basic facilities.
“People were suffering due to dilapidated roads, huge power cuts, non-availability of potable drinking water and acute deficiency of teaching staff in the schools. The breakdown of Salmay Bridge posed insurmountable problems for over 1.5 lakh people residing in Ghordi and Udhampur blocks. The Cherri Swail road constructed by PMGSY had not been opened for traffic despite the people’s clamour for over 3 years in view of a wall having been erected on its entry point by Railways Department. And despite the payment having been made to the Railways Department, the latter had refused to allow public transport through the area with local administration too having succumbed to their dictates,” he said.
Harsh Dev said the popular government alone could provide justice to the people who “continued to suffer under the present proxy rule of BJP which showed least concern for the aspirations of the common people”.
