National Conference provincial President Devender Singh Rana Thursday assailed BJP for compromising with honour, pride and aspirations of Jammu, saying all tall promises proved hoax with people finding themselves downgraded as secondary class citizens in two Union territories.
“What happened to promised statehood for Jammu, which the people were assured by the BJP in order to fulfill their aspirations as they, according to the party, felt that they had not got their due share in governance,” said Rana while interacting with media persons here.
He said people of Jammu in turn got abject neglect and deprivation from even basic amenities. He regretted that people of Jammu were being meted out a treatment as if they were secondary class citizens.
Describing Dogras as architects of the state of J&K, Rana lamented they were being neglected and relegated to secondary position.
“This has generated anger, discontentment and disillusion among people, which is needed to be understood and addressed by those holding the reins of the governance,” he said and referred to the unfulfilled promises made by BJP with Jammu.
Rana said National Conference has been a strong votary of the J&K state, as a single entity with regional autonomy to various regions and sub regions.
“The NC will always stand for rights of people and work for upholding honour and dignity of people of Jammu within the state of J&K,” said Rana, adding the party believes in unity in diversity with equal opportunities of progress, development and jobs to all.
He said National Conference has remained sensitive to the distinct urges and aspirations of the regions and sub-regions but what has now panned out was quite disgusting and disturbing for Jammu.
He said Jammu’s spirit of sacrifice and character of assimilation should be respected by giving it a fair deal in governance, development, employment and implementation of various welfare measures.
“It’s high time for the BJP to undertake course correction after accepting its mistakes and failure in keeping the promises made to Jammu,” Rana said. “The BJP should publicly own the responsibility to the mess created over the years as a result of which the people suffered hugely on all fronts. He said Jammu development has remained a far cry, confined to papers only, given the obtaining conditions on ground zero. The erratic power supply and scarce drinking water has traumatized the people during scorching summer and humid monsoon. What is beyond comprehension can be witnessed by pock marked roads which present the semblance of the stone-age era.”
Rana said Jammu needs a healing balm of political, economic and development fronts which will generate a sense of confidence among people who feel relegated to the status of nothingness.
