Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 25: Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was focusing on international issues and ignoring concerns of the country, particularly with regard to Jammu Kashmir and border security situation, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and AICC general secretary incharge, J&K, Ambika Soni today announced to launch agitational path for highlighting the failures of Government and plights of border migrants.
“Enough is enough, we are going to adopt agitational approach and go aggressive both inside and outside the Legislature for highlighting plights of border migrants and force the Government to take appropriate measures for ensuring their safety and welfare,” they said while addressing a joint press conference on the sidelines of an emergency meeting of JKPCC executive to take stock of the prevailing situation on the border in Jammu Kashmir with Pakistan.
Alleging policy paralysis vis-à-vis Kashmir and Pakistan, Azad slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for focussing more on international issues than those of the country’s concerns. “He (Modi) is a big man now. Issues concerning people living along borders, who are facing hard times due to Pakistan firing, are not on agenda of the Prime Minister,” Azad said adding that the incumbent Prime Minister of India was now a days busy focussing on international issues only.
“People of J&K, particularly in five border districts along Pakistan are spending sleepless nights and suffering immensely because of heavy shelling from across the border while our PM is teaching policy matters to the United States, Britain and China etc though he has no policy for the people of India and Kashmir in particular,” the Congress leader said and sought to remind PM Modi that he had got mandate to run India not the world.
Alleging that the Centre was caught between hot pursuit and soft policy vis-à-vis Pakistan, Azad emphasized that the Government must be decisive and the issue of national security could not be taken lightly. “Territorial integrity is most important, J&K has border with Pakistan and they (Govt) can’t take it lightly,” he stressed.
Reminding that Modi had become Prime Minister by exploiting voters on Kashmir issue and security scenario by assuring that peace would prevail along the border, Azad claimed that around 80 percent vote share of BJP was because of this poll plank. “During elections, Modi, who was also the chairman of BJP campaign committee at that time, used to criticize us as a ‘weak’ party on taking decision on border tension but know when he is the PM, there is no policy vis-à-vis Pakistan and Kashmir,” he said giving statistics, according to which only 350 ceasefire violations took place during the UPA rule whereas in the last two and half year rule of NDA, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire for more than 2500 times.
Announcing that Congress would seek discussion in the Parliament over the border situation, Azad said that Congress would press for 5 marla plots to border inhabitant in safer zones, special recruitment, reservation for them and better schooling, health and medical facilities and provision of fodder and enhanced compensation for the human loss and livestock etc.
“We need a policy for these five border districts to ensure that people may not suffer in case of unprovoked firing from Pakistan,” he said and lashed out at the Ruling Peoples Democratic Party. “PDP was finished the day party joined hands with the BJP. Both the parties got mandate on different issues but they failed on all fronts,” he said.
Ambika Soni said that she along with Ghulam Nabi Azad and other senior Congress leaders visited the border belt yesterday and injured in the hospital today, on the direction of Rahul Gandhi. She said that they were pained to see the plight of the people who are facing the increased ceasefire violations for the past three and half years and are uprooted time and again without any efforts of the Centre and State to take adequate measures for their short term and long term safety, security, relief and rehabilitation.
PCC president G A Mir, PCC senior vice-president Sham Lal Sharma, Congress Legislature Party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora, spokesman Ravinder Sharma and other senior Congress leaders were present in the press conference.
Meanwhile, Ambika Soni and Ghulam Nabi Azad took a marathon meeting of JKPCC executive and senior party leaders over the border situation.
The meeting adopted a resolution demanding that the Centre and State Governments should fulfill the commitment of providing 5 marla plot to border residents, enhancement of ex-gratia relief for the death and adequate compensation for the damage to their properties especially enhancement of compensation for their live stock to one lakh per buffalo etc.
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