Chenani, Apr 16: Seeking early restoration of statehood to J&K and installation of an elected government, former minister and state president NPP Harsh Dev Singh said that prolonged central rule in the erstwhile state was a negation of the constitutional guarantees enshrined in the Constitution of India.
Addressing public meetings in his constituency, Singh said assurances by the central govt of restoring statehood to J&K at the appropriate time had failed to inspire the people of J&K who had lost faith in all such ‘melodramatic rants’ of the BJP leadership.
He said that the BJP govt was ruthlessly trampling upon the rights of J&K people resulting in alienation amongst the general masses. Singh said that while the euphoria created by the abrupt abrogation of Article 370 had since petered out, the people were feeling cheated due to the dismantling of 200 year old historical State of J&K and downgrading it to the level of UT.
The former minister said that such a move of BJP led government had not only lowered the morale of the people of erstwhile State but caused huge disenchantment in the hearts and minds of general masses.
“It was not a demotion of the State only. Infact every sensible citizen felt downgraded and humiliated. It had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of J&K who felt belittled and dwarfed”, he added.
Demanding early restoration of statehood and installation of an elected govt, Harsh Dev urged for personal intervention of the President of India to save the people of J&K from dictatorial and autocratic regime.
Pointing towards the growing tensions in various parts of the UT, Singh said it revealed the failure of administration to come up to the peoples’ expectations. He said that bureaucratic rule was no answer to the prevalent crisis.
The NPP leaders said the LG administration has lost connection with the masses. The unemployed, semi-employed and contractuals were on the roads with none to even take note of their sufferings and grievances.
“With hardly any forum to ventilate their grievances, the people were a neglected lot in the absence of a popular govt thereby resulting in growing alienation amongst the masses,” he added.
