Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 14: Union Health Minister and senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that he was not interested to contest elections as the Party has assigned him responsibility of campaign for nearly 150 Lok Sabha seats in the country.
Addressing public rallies at Nowshera, Rajouri and Sunderbani in support of Congress candidate Madan Lal Sharma from Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat today, the Union Minister said many legislators, ministers and even others in the party asked him to contest Lok Sabha election but he was not interested because the party high command has assigned him the great responsibility of nearly 150 Lok Sabha seats for campaign.
Under such circumstances, he would not be able to justify and spare sufficient time for the contesting. However, the party decision would be supreme for all the party `soldiers’.
Mr Azad in his address at Nowshera, virtually authenticated report of `Excelsior’ with regard to the speculations being aired regarding contesting of elections by Azad from Udhampur- Doda seat. The Excelsior had categorically reported on Friday that Azad is unlikely to be spared by the Party high command to contest Lok Sabha elections from Udhampur-Doda seat.
Referring to the campaign launched by some parties, Mr Azad said politics of hatred is dangerous for the country and the people indulging in this campaign, are not doing service to the nation. The people must reject the communal and divisive forces and strengthen the secular and progressive forces, he added.
The senior AICC leader is on a three-day visit to the State to kick start the campaign for Congress candidate for Rajouri-Poonch constituency Madan Lal Sharma.
“Foundation of this country has been laid on secular ideals which is strength of our nation and we should not allow to weaken this at any cost,” he added and urged people to reject such kind of forces who are posing threat to the secular fabric of the nation.
Referring to the suggestions of his party legislators, MPs and others to contest election from Udhampur-Doda, Mr Azad said he was not interested in contesting elections as he had great responsibility of campaigning for over 150 seats of the Party. Under such circumstances, he would not be able to justify to contest but the party’s decision is supreme not for him but all the party `soldiers’.
Even, Madan Lal Sharma offered him to contest from Jammu-Poonch seat but he had great responsibility assigned by the party high command.
He also referred to the numerous achievements of the Coalition Government in the State by the liberal funding of UPA Government and appealed to people to vote in favour of coalition candidates in the State.
The Union Minister said that country has witnessed tremendous development in all spheres of life under the UPA regime in the past 10 years including in the State. He claimed that five new Medical Colleges have been given in the State including one in Rajouri. In last four years, 60 % seats of MBBS and 80 % of MD courses, have been increased realizing the shortage of doctors in the country. Under MNGREGA, 12.75 crore job cards have been provided to the poor labour class people of the country and 6.50 lakh new Primary and Upper Primary schools opened. The Centre is providing salary of over 7 lakh ReT teachers engaged. Moreover, under MNREGA programme, 3 lakh kilometer roads have been constructed in the country, connecting a large number of villages.
The AICC leader pointed out that the negative campaign against the UPA is only to divert the attention of people from the achievements of Government in every sphere of life including road network, hospitals, education and other pro-poor schemes which have benefited the cross sections of the society.
Without naming any one or a party, Mr Azad said some people are dreaming of becoming Prime Minister. It will remain dream for them whereas, Congress is the reality and it would come to power again. He said India is strong democracy as it accords full freedom and rights to all the citizens. Russia was a strong country but it disintegrated as it did not accord full rights and freedom to all the communities. India having population of 1.30 crore is the largest and strongest democracy in the world and Congress party and its leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Azad and others played a greater role in keeping it united and making stronger.
Pradesh Congress Committee president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz in his address referred to addressing people’s aspirations with regard to implementation of 73rd Amendment, creation of large number of Administrative units, although there are some genuine demands from certain areas for creation of more such units. “The 73rd Amendment will strengthen the basic democratic institutions- Panchayats in the State,” he said and added that issue of refugees of different categories for which Congress party initiated talks with Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson and Union Home Minister for one time settlement and the party is trying its best to solve their issues. He also referred the demand of border migrants, reservation for Jats and issue of OBC’s, which he claimed to have been taken up at the highest level.
Minister for Planning and Development and senior NC leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, senior NC leader and party’s provincial president Devender Singh Rana, MLA Nowshera, R S Sharma, MLA Rajouri Shabir Khan, MLC Ravinder Sharma, Ex-Minister Dr Romesh Chander Sharma, MLA Indu Pawar, Ex-MPs Mirza Abdul Rashid, Talib Hussain and others also addressed the gathering.
Follow our WhatsApp channel