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‘PM Modi showed what self-rule truly means’: Dr. Jitendra Singh in J&K
He also said that under Modi government there was no discrimination with Jammu region in jobs and funds distribution and promised level playing field and equal opportunities to all.
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ensured self-rule and autonomy to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in earnest by scrapping Article 370 and 35-A in August last year.
Addressing a gathering in Jammu as part of PM Modi’s special public outreach programme post revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Singh said, “2019 was an year of atonement for the blunders committed in the past and after the struggle of three generations it is time to start a new era on a positive note.”
Without naming People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) Singh took a swipe at both Kashmir-centric political outfits saying, “People should ask them why development and progress were denied to them for so many years and why real democracy was kept away for so long by these parties. And, ironically they are the parties who talked about self- rule and autonomy”.
The union minister further added that self-rule was coined by the People’s Democratic Party of the Muftis and autonomy by the National Conference of the Abdullahs.
“We never realized how deep the enslavement was ingrained in our mentality for so long. I feel that after August 4 and 5 last year, the midnight of October 31 and November 1 was the biggest development that was never experienced before except the midnight of August 14 and 15 in 1947,” he said referring to the revocation of Article 370 and its subsequent notification in the official gazette.
Recalling how NC and PDP boycotted Panchayat Raj polls he said, “For the first time PM Modi showed to the people of J&K what actually are self rule and autonomy. Funds are being transferred directly to Sarpanches and Panches. 73rd and 74th amendments of Panchayati Raj Act will soon be notified.”
“No volcano erupted and no quake was there. The past six months were the most peaceful in the last 30 years. I have said so in Kashmir as well. Markets are flooded with people in Kashmir. Some channels don’t want to see it but pictures don’t lie,” he added.
“Ask any political pundit about self rule. It is not a rule of the self but it is self-rule of the citizens on the ground and whose autonomy… of the people or of the family?” he asked.
He also said that under Modi government there was no discrimination with Jammu region in jobs and funds distribution and promised level playing field and equal opportunities to all.
However, the union minister asked party workers that they should first understand the difference the “big development” has made and what changes it will bring in the future.
“First we have to understand, study and then make others understand it. And, probably we had to wait for so long (revocation of Article 370) because God might have wanted Modi to become Prime Minister and do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, minister of state for health and family welfare, Ashwani Kumar Choubey on Saturday said that BJP doesn’t discriminate on the basis of caste, creed, colour and religion.
In the winter capital for the first time as part of Modi government’s special public outreach programme Choubey said Centre was committed towards ameliorating socio-economic condition of the poor of the society. He recalled how PM Modi started many welfare schemes during his previous stint from 2014-2019.
He was addressing an audience during a felicitation ceremony of ‘Ayushman Bharat’ here in Jammu city this evening.
Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal visited Purmandal in Samba district and talked to the people to know their problems and demands.
Later, talking to the media Meghwal said that a report of the demands will be compiled and in turn projects in tandem with their needs will be launched.
The first group of the three ministers out of 36 Union ministers reached Jammu on Saturday evening after their flight was diverted to Srinagar from Jammu due to bad weather.
