Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, June 25: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad held a series of public meetings at Thathri, Kahara, Bathri, Bhatyas, Mugalmaidan, Chatroo and Chingam area of Inderwal constituency in Inderwal.
Addressing the people, Azad said that in the recent elections divisive political forces have succeeded in swaying the minds of people, particularly youngsters, by polarizing the society on religious lines. These experiments may help one to earn a few electoral victories but the damage to the social harmony can be too deep and lasting, he cautioned.
Azad said that he will never endorse the politics of opportunism and division while the Congress Party has always stood for the promotion of the cherished values of peace, harmony and mutual brotherhood in the society and this agenda of integrating and harmonizing the society will be pursued consistently. “Congress Party has always been secular in its policy towards people. Unlike BJP, it doesn’t believe in dividing people on religious lines. Our party stresses only on developmental issues which have greater importance for people,” he said.
Criticizing the recent statements of NDA Government at the Centre asking the people to be ready for hard economic decisions, Azad said that the same BJP prior to elections used to allure people by its tall claims of bringing down inflation overnight and soon after coming to power, gave first dose of misery to the people of country by effecting a hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, adding that this will have cascading effect on prices of all items.
“Why the BJP Government at Centre hiked petrol and diesel prices within a fortnight when its entire leadership was “tong and hammers” before the election claiming to reduce the inflation in the market,” he asked, adding that that prices of food items have started getting out of control and as per the newspaper reports prices of onions alone are about to reach hundred rupees a kilogram in the coming days. Is this what BJP used to promise the people of country? Azad asked.
Azad said UPA during its ten years rule, strictly focused to build infrastructure in every nook and corner of the country and provide liberal financial support to the States. Massive funding was made available to the States for road connectivity and rural electrification under CRF, PMGSY and RGGVY schemes and their impact on the ground has been quite heartening, he said adding that J&K State has also been extended liberal financial support for power projects, roads, hospitals, schools, colleges, etc under UPA Government.
Mr Azad urged the people to strengthen the vote base of Congress Party by ensuring the victory of Congress MLAs to take the State on the path of progress, prosperity and harmony. “I need all seats from Chenab Valley and I am sure we will form the Government in State. If we come to power I promise you all, we will serve the people in the best possible manner and unfold a structure of governance, based on efficiency, transparency and equity” he said while asking people to gear up for the Assembly elections which are likely to be held in November this year.
While addressing, G M Saroori said that Azad left no stone unturned in giving fillip to several sectors related to common masses by providing liberal funding from the Central Government in UPA I and II Government. He hoped that the State in general and Inderwal in particular would receive affectionate patronage from Azad in future also.
Azad visited these areas for expressing gratitude to the people of Inderwal for voting in his favour in a big way in the recently held Parliamentary elections. Congress party has secured 28,155 highest number of lead from Inderwal Assembly segment in which Congress party got 39,351 votes, BJP got 11,196 votes and PDP got 1,871 votes out of 55,047 votes.
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