Those who mocked BJP for decades now keen to join party: Dr Jitendra

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing a public rally at Basohli on Sunday. -Excelsior/Pardeep Sharma
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing a public rally at Basohli on Sunday. -Excelsior/Pardeep Sharma

‘Leaders who discriminated against Jammu region presently red-faced’

Avtar Bhat

KATHUA, Dec 26 : Taking a dig at opposition parties especially those from Jammu, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said today that it is the height of hypocrisy that political leaders who had always discriminated against Jammu and were responsible for injustice meted out to the region over the last seven decades, are now seen constantly crying hoarse over Jammu.

Click here to watch video
Hitting out hard at them while addressing a massive public rally at Basohli,60 kms from here, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the popularity of Narendra Modi on unprecedented development has vindicated that those who mocked the BJP for decades are now keen to join the party. Some of them have already joined BJP while others are trying for the same, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that earlier they were calling BJP a Janda (Flag) and Danda (stick) party but now they are keen to pick up BJP flag to secure their political future.
He said the public memory may be short but it is not so short as to forget and forgive the injustice meted out to the region by some of the political parties and leaders who represented the Jammu region for years together and yet preferred to dance to the tune of their Kashmir-centric masters, simply to earn Ministerial berths or some other petty perks. These leaders are red faced now so they are crying hoarse over Jammu.
He said, this is for the first time that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has ensured equitable distribution of funds and resources in every region of Jammu & Kashmir and also sought to make up for the injustice done to the Jammu region.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is hilarious and ridiculous to hear several leaders from Congress and other fringe organisations continuously pointing finger at BJP without explaining that what the Central Government under Modi has tried to redeem is nothing but the baggage and dubious legacy left by them.
He asked, what were the elected Legislators and Parliamentarians from Jammu doing when the Dogra Certificate was manipulated by the then J&K State Government run by their own parties and today they have suddenly discovered that they are Dogras and are criticising BJP as if our party had abolished Dogra Certificate.
Dr Jitendra Singh while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the function later in response to a question regarding restoration of Statehood to J&K said that the call on reverting back to Statehood will be taken at appropriate time by Union Government.
In response to another question on Shahpur-Kandi Project, Dr Jitendra Singh said the project will be made functional by next year. He said the political parties who ruled the Centre and State in past are answerable to people of Jammu that why the project was delayed for last 40 long years. The only reason for creating hurdles in execution of this project by the successive ruling parties was that they did not want to displease their constituency in Kashmir, he added.
Earlier, the Minister also launched road and bridge projects worth over Rs 36 crore.
Continuing his tirade against opposition, Dr Jitendra Singh said, many of these opposition leaders are getting away by giving media bytes which suit them but nobody asks them why the Shahpur-Kandi Project which could have been a game-changer for the entire Kathua district including the Basohli-Billawar region was held up for 40 years since 1970s and why were the elected MLAs and MPs at that time chose to remain silent. He said it was the personal intervention of the Prime Minister, that the project got revived and will become functional in the next one year or so.
It is only in the last seven years or so, said Dr Jitendra Singh, that the Centre sanctioned a new National Highway beginning from Lakhanpur via Bani-Basohli, crossing Chattergalla hill through a tunnel and reaching Doda-Bhaderwah to establish an all-weather road link. He accused the opposition leaders who represented the region all along for having deliberately not pushed forward this project just because they were the henchmen of Kashmir-centric ruling parties of that time.
Maintaining that justice for all and appeasement to none is the principle of Modi Government, Dr Jitendra Singh said a big change of inclusive development was now evident on ground level that reiterates the resolve of the Government, ‘Sabka Saath’, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Priyas’.
Dr Jitendra Singh regretted that during his tenure as the Member of Parliament, while Kathua, Udhampur and erstwhile Doda were benefited with dozens of national projects, the hill region of Billawar-Basohli could not receive equal benefit. For this, he blamed the then locally elected representatives who preferred to work in isolation without utilising the resources and influence of the sitting Member of Parliament. However, he hoped that now with a 3-tier democracy in place and Basohli not only having an elected Municipal Council but also the district Kathua DDC Chairman hailing from here, we will together be able to make up for the lapses of the past.”
On the occasion, a number of demands were put before Dr Jitendra Singh, for which he requested the DDC Councillors and Municipal Councillors to do a proper spadework and communicate to him so that he could follow up the same at higher level.
DDC Chairman Col(Retd) Mahan Singh, former MLA Bani Jeevan Lal, Municipal Chairman Shammi Sapolia, DDC vice chairman Raghunandan Singh Babloo and former MLA Jagdish Raj Sapolia were among the prominent leaders who spoke on the occasion.