Five years under direct central rule, still no clarity on Assembly polls: Bhalla

Says BJP deliberately depriving people of J&K of elected govt

JAMMU, June 20:- JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla today accused BJP of depriving the people of Jammu and Kashmir of the elected government for the last five years. He said the EC is under the Constitutional obligation to hold assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir as last time elections were conducted in J&K was in the year 2014 and since then no assembly polls were held here.

This was stated by former Minister while interacting with aggrieved people at Bhour Camp  in RS Pura Jammu South Constituency on Tuesday. He said people of J&K want to know what wrong Jammu Kashmir have done that people have been deprived of having their own elected government.Prominent among those present on the occasion include Refugee Cell Congress Chairman Amrit Bali, Pawan Bhagat, Gopal Sharma, Ramesh Raina, Arvind Sharma, Kasturi Lal,  Jitender Singh, Sandeep Sharma Sheru, Bitta, Raja Narad, Beant Singh, Simran Singh, Jai Ram Sharma, Vinod Sharma besides others.

 Bhalla further said that except for the Opposition there is nobody in Jammu and Kashmir while the government dictates the terms and doesn’t take people or political leaders on board. “Government only knows how to harass people. When we tried to meet the government, it didn’t oblige.”He said that the time has come for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and it is undemocratic to deprive the people of an elected government for a long time.He said Congress believes in democratic values and will ensure that various pro-people initiatives are launched to benefit the weaker sections of people in our society if elected to power.

 Bhalla said Govt has failed to create diverse economic opportunities in various sectors including tourism, agriculture and horticulture so that the economy of common people improves. Reacting over Jammu and Kashmir completed five years under central rule today , Bhalla said it was second-longest period of Presidential rule in the country since Independence.Still, many in Jammu and Kashmir wait eagerly to vote because no place has suffered so much for the right to vote as  J&K.  He said there is “continuous denial of democracy” in Jammu and Kashmir after it was stripped of its statehood. Jammu and Kashmir has completed five years under direct central rule, but there is still no clarity on when the Assembly polls would be held in the Union Territory, said Bhalla.

Bhalla said that BJP Government has nothing to highlight as its achievement except indulging in deceit tactics, this regime has done nothing to address grievances of the people during the last nine years. He regretted that instead of addressing grievances of the people, this government brazenly participated in photo sessions to get cheap publicity and just to befool the people by making false promises. Bhalla said due to lack of transparency and accountability, J&K has been pushed into a virtual whirlpool of maladministration and despair. He said the development process was almost paralyzed while major initiatives taken by the previous Congress-led coalition Government have been almost abandoned.

Bhalla further said that people are deprived of the basic amenities. The condition of roads is worst, while power, water and ration supply position is also grim. Many Government offices specially the Health Centres are without doctors and other paramedical staff. He said that BJP government is deliberately delaying the holding of early assembly elections and restoration of full statehood to J&K and asked people to gear up for decisive fight.

Bhalla urged people to support Congress as only this party can fight the wrong policies and politics of diversion and hate of the BJP in the whole country. He said that unity in diversity is the basic strength of our nation and long settled principle of Congress party. Bhalla said that Congress was committed to fight the divisive and opportunist policies of BJP as the ruling party is hell bent to destroy the secular fabric of the nation for its vote bank politics.

(NOTE: PRESS RELEASE PUBLISHED AS RECEIVED)