Coming down heavily on National Conference, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership for initiating ‘misinformation’ campaign against Congress, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nab Azad today regretted that young and incumbent Chief Minister Omar Abdullah failed to carry forward developmental agenda started by Congress led coalition government in 2005.Azad did not spare BJP and PDP and castigated them for ‘piding the people on communal lines just for want of votes, thereby spoiling the secular atmosphere of the state.’
Even while feeling low due to high fever, Azad did not cancel public rallies and reached out the masses, which was eagerly waiting for him in higher reaches of Rajouri as well as planes of Samba and Vijaypur.Addressing series of public rallies in Ghambir Brahmana in Rajouri district, Dhangri and Ghai Bhaas in Kalakote, Samba and Vijaypur Assembly segments seeking votes in favor of party candidates, Shabir Khan, Ashok Sharma, Subash Bhagat and Sardar Manjeet Singh, i Azad took a dig at National Conference and pointed that “When Congress agreed to make alliance with National Conference, we were quite hopeful that young Omar Abdullah will carry forward the developmental activities initiated by Congress party in all the three regions of the state. I thought he (Omar) will continue the double shift and triple shift works, which would help in mitigating the miseries of common masses of the state.” “But to our utter surprise, he put all the developmental works initiated by Congress to a standstill,” stated Azad.
Highlighting that the double shift and triple shift works, work culture and good governance, which raised new hope of rays among the people of the state during his small tenure as chief minister, he shared with the people that “As Chief Minister wherever and whichever town I visited throughout the state, I ensured first to have a look on ongoing construction works be it Schools, Colleges, Hospitals etc. I used to personally monitor the status of works. It was no just once or twice but numerous times I visited the sites even on remote and hilly belts. But unfortunately in past six years, chief minister Omar Abdullah did not even visit a single area to check whether the work in progress would be completed well in time or not.”
Lambasting NC and PDP, Congress stalwart, pointed out that “Mr Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Mr Farooq Abdullah and Mr Omar Abdullah remained chief ministers here in J&K. NC ruled the state for most of maximum tenure since 1947 but failed to come up to the expectations of the people. Even Mufti Mohammad Sayeed remained Chief Minister but could not uplift the poor and downtrodden people”. But when I took over the chair of chief minister, within short span of two and half years, I made Ganderbal, the Assembly segment represented by Abdullahs-a district. I ensured construction of 32 District Level Hospitals in the entire state including the one Mufti’s Anantnag district. Besides, a Medical College in capacity as Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare”. When I decided to announce 8 new districts, I ensured district status to Samba, which was decades old demand of the people. Why NC, PDP remained ignorant on the said issues. Instead, when these political parties observed that Congress is working day night for the welfare of the people, they toppled my government.
There have been two Super Specialty Hospitals one in Kashmir and another in Jammu. Who made it? Is it NC, BJP or PDP? It is only and only Congress party which provided liberal funding when it remained in power at Center.Criticizing BJP leadership for ‘befooling’ the people especially of Jammu province, Azad who was accompanied by party spokesperson and senior Congress leader, Advocate B S Slathia, reminded the gatherings that “ever since BJP came in to existence, it carried Article 370 issue on its top list throughout the country. It pided the people on communal lines just to seek votes. But now, when it is in power at center, It has made a big U-Turn. Earlier, BJP misguided the Jammu people in the name of Article 370. And after seeking votes from them, now they have shelved the issue to appease the people of Kashmir in the ongoing Assembly polls.”
“I want to ask BJP leadership why they are silent over the issue. They must answer the queries of the people who voted them to power in general elections. They are befooling both the people of Jammu as well as Kashmir and Ladakh as well.”“What happened in 2008, BJP raised religious sentiments. People voted them and BJP’s tally reached 11 from 1. What happened later, out of 11 MLAs, seven sold out the sentiments of the people in favour of NC. Why BJP is silent on hat part. Why it had failed to give an answer to the people who voted them to power,” he asked.