Condemning Pakistan and its Armed Forces for once again resorting to unprovoked firing on Indian territory since yesterday in Arnia, Poonch & Rajouri sectors of J&K, Leader of Opposition & Former Chief Minister of J&K, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that India and its brave forces are capable of thwarting the attempts of aggression being committed by anti-India forces from across the border.Azad said that these wanton and unprovoked acts of aggression depict the evil designs of Pakistan and our security forces will repulse all misadventures of Pakistan in a befitting manner.This was stated by Azad while addressing public meetings at Ferozpur Jhirka, Penagva, Bas Dalla, Hateen and Tavru in Haryana, where he is campaigning for his Party.
Azad further said that the repeated & unprovoked ceasefire violations targeting our civilian areas shows nothing but the frustration on the part of Pakistan and cheap attempt on the part of its Government to pert attention of its people from the internal problems which it is unable to overcome.Lamenting that the NDA Government is playing the sentiments of the people of the country as also trivializing the sufferings of lakhs of residents of border areas, Azad said that Prime Minster’s boastful assurance in a public meeting two days ago where he claimed to have silenced Pakistani guns, has only proved to be mere rant aimed to secure few votes.
“Prime Minister has misled the country by claiming that we have shut the mouths of Pakistanis and they wont dare fire into our territory in future, as within twenty four hours of this boastful assurance by none other than the Prime Minister, Pakistan resumed heavy shelling, not only on International border but also on Line of Control in Poonch & Rajouri sectors”, said Azad.Azad said that the fresh violation of ceasefire agreement even after the assurance of the Prime Minister since yesterday in Arnia, Poonch and Rajouri Sectors is unfortunate which has shaken the faith of the people of this country and accordingly, urged the NDA government not to make politically motivated statements for playing vote bank politics at least on the issues relating to security and territorial integrity of the country.
Asserting that he has highest regards for the Prime Minister and the office he is holding, Azad said that is it not the moral duty of the Prime Minister to fulfil the promise he has made to the people that once BJP will come to power ceasefire violations and Chinese incursions will evaporate into thin air.“Why the reverse of what BJP and its leadership promised is happening and there has been an unprecedented spurt in the ceasefire violations ever since BJP and NDA has taken over in Delhi”, asked Azad.
“Is it not a fact that China even showed the gumption to intrude into our territory when its President Xi Jinping was on an official visit to India and Prime Minister Modi was busy in extending “protocol” (which PM derided when Salman Khurshid accompanied President Zardari to Ajmer) to him, besides sharing ‘swing’ with him”, said Azad.
Azad said that it is the right of the people of the country to ask questions to the Government which they have elected to power and that NDA government should not try to silence the voice of the people instead of silencing the Pakistani guns.Asserting that it is in the DNA of Congress Party to give primacy to national interest over narrow partisan considerations, Azad said that at this crucial juncture we are fully behind our armed forces and the nation in fighting the acts of aggression and threat to our borders from Pakistan.Reminding the NDA Government of the support which Congress Party extended on all crucial occasions, irrespective of political considerations, Azad said that we fully supported NDA during Lahore Bus Yatra, Kargil war and in 2001 when Atalji gave a call for ‘aar par ki ladai’ in true spirit of nationalism and patriotism.Repeating the charge against BJP and NDA, Azad said that ceasefire violations and border tensions escalate as and when BJP & NDA assume power in the Centre making the people of border areas suffer inexplicable hardships and pains.
“When did Kargil happen? When did the slogans of “Aar Par ki Ladai” reverberate in the air as the country saw a massive border build-up in 2001 to unfortunately end up with a whimper, and not a bang!”, asked Azad Reacting to the allegations of BJP and its leadership that opposition leaders are trying to gain political advantage when our borders are being violated, Azad reminded that it is Prime Minister and the BJP who set the wrong precedent of politicising the subjects of national security and foreign policy before the Lok Sabha elections by consistently raking up sensitive issues in public meetings, adding that this should not make them jittery now and they need not hide under the mask of national interest and threat to territorial integrity of the country.
Azad said that we know what the national interest is and we are fully aware of our responsibilities as a historical party but I would like to ask my friends in BJP why they get angry when somebody asks them to fulfil their electoral promise of bringing an end to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and incursions by Chinese forces.
Thundering that nationalism is not the copyright of BJP as it tends to believe mistakenly, Azad said that Congress Party’s role and contributions from freedom struggle to building India into a strong and self-confident country cannot be erased from the annals of history as well as minds of the people of the country.Azad said that Congress Party is not going to accept the preposterous assumption that BJP and nationalism are synonymous as he can forsee the dangers inherent in such a parochial thinking, adding that this is anti-thetical to the very grain of constitution and democratic values which Mahatma Gandhi and our founding fathers have visualized for this country at the time of independence.Launching a scathing attack on BJP and its leadership for lying to the nation about the excellent work done by Congress Party in the last sixty years. Mr Azad said that it is disrespect of the mandate which the people of the country have been giving to Congress Party, adding that he is confident that people will give a befitting reply for this insult.
Azad said that the stature and prominence which Prime Minister and BJP leaders are enjoying in the world is in fact the legacy which Congress Party has left as the entire world admires our remarkable accomplishments with awe and envy, both.
Azad said that while the whole world is acknowledging India as an emerging power, BJP and its leadership is busy denouncing and criticizing the Congress Party which has been responsible for putting the country on the path of progress and development.
“I want to repeat that we have handed over a very strong country to NDA which is on the threshold of becoming a world power, and this obviously could not be achieved with mere change of guard in Delhi or in a few months”, said Azad.
Lashing out at BJP Azad said that it is better for BJP to compare India’s achievements with our neighbouring countries and the countries which attained independence with us and then keep criticising the Congress Party illogically and unreasonably.
Azad said that the “mouse” which the Prime Minister claims to be fascinated with, he must know, is in fact a contribution of Congress Party and visionary Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, irrespective of the fact that BJP and its entire leadership were deadly opposed to computers and digital technology at the time of its introduction.Reacting to the barbs of the Prime Minister that nothing has happened in sixty years in this country, Azad asserted that BJP and its leadership owe their existence to the vision and sacrifices that Congress Party made to gain independence from the Britishers.
“Had there been no Congress Party, there would have been no independence, and had there been no independence there won’t have been democracy and elections which have enabled Modi Sahab to be Chief Minister earlier and Prime Minister now”, said Azad.Asserting that the Congress Party with an unwavering commitment led this country on the path of democracy, secularism and constitutionalism during the last sixty years, Azad said that given the authoritarian and sectarian agenda of BJP, one wonders if India would have continued to be a democracy governed by rule of law, had BJP been in power for such a long time. (KNS)