Lot of change in 4 years: Anurag
*Why elections not being held, asks Farooq
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 5: Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Services & Sports Anurag Thakur today asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a lot of change in the past four years since the abrogation of Article 370 while Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh declared that whenever the Election Commission announces Assembly elections in the UT, they are ready for it.
Intervening in the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh said: “whenever the EC announces it (Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir), we are ready”.
Click here to watch video
He said this in response to a demand from Opposition parties for holding early Assembly polls in the Union Territory.
“The EC has its own mechanism of gathering inputs according to its requirements and it will take a final call. Let us all trust the wisdom of the EC and not appear to be interfering in its functioning,” Dr Jitendra Singh added.
He further said democracy must reach the grass-root level and in the future, “we will do” what is in the best interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Jitendra Singh blamed Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, for the Kashmir problem.
He further said the Congress should be grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that provided a special status to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Jitendra Singh said a series of measures have been taken to ensure development in the Union Territory.
Intervening in the debate, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said there have been no cases of stone pelting and the Indian tricolour is now hoisted in every street of the Union Territory.
But earlier, when the National Conference (NC) was in power, BJP leaders were arrested for trying to hoist the national flag there, Thakur said recalling his own experience during the Tiranga Yatra.
He was responding to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader’s remarks that “ek nishan, ek pradhan, ek samvidhan” was a political slogan.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister alleged that the TMC Government in West Bengal is not allowing in the State the “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra”, which showcases the people-centric policies of the Narendra Modi Government.
The Modi Government removed Articles 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, which was not done even 70 years after Independence, he said.
Thakur slammed the opposition for not mentioning the contribution of Maharaja Hari Singh, who signed the Instrument of Accession with India, to the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Does his contribution not count? Should the contribution of Sardar Patel, who ensured the merger of princely States, not be counted? Sardar Patel laid the foundation of a strong India. The shortcomings left behind by (Jawaharlal) Nehru were rectified here on Aug 5-6, 2019 in Parliament by PM Modi,” Thakur said
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah wanted to know from the BJP-led Centre why Assembly polls are not being held in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jugal Kishore Sharma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who represents Jammu in the Lok Sabha, said the bill to change the nomenclature of “weak and underprivileged classes” to “Other Backward Classes” in Jammu and Kashmir will benefit people in getting reservation in other parts of the country for the first time.
Jamyang Tsering Namgayal, BJP MP from Ladakh said peace in Jammu and Kashmir is “more important” than elections.
He said after the abrogation of Article 370, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved and investments have started pouring in.
National Conference (NC) MP Hasnain Masoodi also demanded early polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the Government should tell the truth to the country and not spread the illusion of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Masoodi also claimed that unemployment is increasing in the Union Territory.
Amar Singh of the Congress asked the Government about its plans on holding Assembly polls in the Union Territory.
Singh said Shah should assert that the election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held, with security forces ready to deal with any situation.
He said while a provision is being made to provide reservation for two members from the community of “Kashmiri Migrants” and one from the “Displaced Persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, a representative from the Punjabi community from Jammu should also be provided. He said the “Punjabi” should not necessarily be a Sikh.
Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said the Government should announce a time-frame for holding polls in the Union Territory.
He said providing reservation and similar issues are state subjects and should be dealt with by the State Legislatures. The hurry, he said, is to pass bills, but it should be for holding the Assembly polls.
Roy claimed that the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution has brought no changes in the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said this was the first time that a State was converted into a Union Territory.
He said the Government tells tourists that everything is fine in Jammu and Kashmir but in reality, that is not the case.
Speaker Om Birla intervened to say after the abrogation of Article 370, most of the MPs have been to Jammu and Kashmir and the region is as it was earlier.
The TMC leader said it was a matter of opinion.
He also said the people of Jammu and Kashmir and not the Lieutenant Governor should rule the Union Territory.
Roy’s remarks on the LG drew protests from the BJP members.
Participating in the discussion, Congress leader Manish Tewari also sought to know about the election and when statehood would be restored in Jammu and Kashmir.
He wondered that at a time when the treasury benches are claiming that normalcy has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir, “why elections” are not being held.
Tewari further said constitutional proprietary demands that the Government should refrain from coming up with these legislations as a matter related to the Constitution (Amendment) Act pertaining to the abrogation of Article 370 is pending in the Supreme Court.
Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too demanded early polls and said the Government should bring a comprehensive bill on reservation to meet the aspirations of the people of different states.
Janata Dal-United’s Kaushalendra Kumar also demanded the holding of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
