When NC, PDP boycotted ULB, Panchayat polls, where was concern for constitution: Ravinder Raina

Jammu, Oct 4: J&K Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Ravinder Raina Wednesday threw a prickly poser to “Gupkar alliance parties”, as to why they did not think about democracy and constitution when they called for boycotting polls to Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats in 2018 in J&K.

“Where was their concern for constitutional rights and democracy then? Why did these leaders of NC, PDP and Congress not call for protest or dharna, when the entire J&K was in deep turmoil and was witnessing bloodshed during their tenure?” he questioned.

Raina, in a presser at BJP headquarter at Trikuta Nagar, was responding to a query about the joint call of protest dharna on October 10 by several opposition parties.

Various opposition parties of J&K, following an all-parties’ meeting chaired by the National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and participated by the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool, CPI-M leader M Y Tarigami and others, on Tuesday had announced to hold protest on October 10 against, what they had alleged, “suspension of constitution and assault on democracy and (fundamental) rights in J&K.”

“These people never strengthened the Panchayati Raj system. Panch, Sarpanch were puppets in the system. They always mislead the gullible population and misuse the system for their own benefit,” Raina alleged.

“When the whole of J&K was in deep turmoil and was facing uncertainty and bloodshed, the leaders belonging to the Gupkar alliance never cared for the people’s welfare. They never raised any call for “dharna”. But now when Jammu & Kashmir is progressing on the path of development, when the people here are reaping the benefits of the process of peace and progress, these Congress, NC, and PDP leaders are trying to vitiate the atmosphere by their “protest dharna” calls. It is a deep conspiracy to create unrest for their own individual and petty political interests,” J&K BJP president said.

Raina was accompanied by MP (Lok Sabha) Jugal Kishore Sharma; former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, former minister Sat Sharma and former minister and BJP national executive member Priya Sethi during the presser.

“Where were these Gupkar leaders, when Gujjar-Bakarwals were fighting for their rights? Pahari people were fighting for justice, but Congress, NC, and PDP never came to the fore fighting for their rights. The OBC community was fighting for its rights, but leaders like Abdullah and Mufti never asked for dharna. West Pakistan refugees, Gorkhas, Valmiki, and many other communities were being denied basic rights but these leaders were unmoved then. They did not bother about democracy or constitutional rights then. This speaks of their hypocrisy and ill-intentions,” he said.

“Now, when the Modi government is pursuing the agenda of development, then these Gupkar leaders are getting unnerved. More than 2 crore tourists have visited J&K. Schools, colleges and universities are open. But these leaders are not able to digest these positive developments, peace and happiness of people,” he alleged.

“These parties are now creating false narratives to hoodwink the people of J&K,” Raina said.

“2 new AIIMS, 8 medical colleges, ring roads, rail connectivity, express highways, tunnels, Jal Jeevan mission, justice with every section, welfare of poor, and this whole development is not being digested by these Gupkar alliance leaders and they aim to halt the development process,” J&K BJP leader alleged.

He said that when the Modi government took steps to ensure a roof over the heads of the poor, these leaders opposed the move. “The government ensured Ayushman card to every individual; free ration; free vaccines for COVID, and socio-economic measures for marginalized sections. Gujjar, Gaddi, Sippi, and all other sections are getting their due rights under the Modi government. The Modi government is following the principle of the “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwaas” mission. This is not digestible for them. They have lost the support of the people and they know that their political ground is fast getting eroded. But the J&K people will not believe them,” Raina said.