Senior BJP leader Mr Devender Singh Rana today said the return of peace in Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 by Narendra Modi Government has transformed J&K and changed the entire narrative with fear and hate mongers itching for regaining political space, they rightly lost due to their self-centric, deceptive, dubious, exploitative, and anti-people discourse for lust of power.
“With pathbreaking economic and developmental initiatives set in motion by the Centre and implemented in missionary mode by the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, the face of Jammu and Kashmir has altogether changed,” Mr Rana said while addressing public meetings in Meerut and Bulandsahar Lok Sabha Parliamentary constituencies.
Alongwith Choudhary Bhupendra Singh, BJP State President UP, Member Parliament Rajinder Aggarwal, Dr Bhola Singh, UP Ministers, Dr. Arun Saxena, Surinder Tomar, MLAs and other senior party leaders, as part of the month-long Maha Jansamparak Abhiyan by the BJP to highlight the Modi Government’s commitment to supporting the common citizens through various initiatives.
Responding to curious queries of the audience about the encouraging turnaround in the Valley situation, leading to unprecedented tourist footfall in Jammu and Kashmir during the past three years, Mr Rana said this is because the people have realized the futility of alien gun culture and developed stakes in peace for development, progress, and prosperity.
Obviously, this has unnerved the fringe vested interests who thrived on instability and unrest for furthering their political agenda for decades. But, seeing the peoples’ preference for peace over stone-pelting and shut-down syndrome, they too have now fallen in line and started seeking their political rehabilitation.
He took jibe at, what he called, political chameleons, who cried hoarse over the developments of August 5, 2019 and had publicly sworn not to participate in any democratic exercise are now talking about democracy being in danger.
Where had their love lost for democracy when they boycotted elections to the basic democratic institutions like Panchayats, semi urban and urban local bodies nearly three years ago, he asked and said that they wanted to create obstacles in empowering the people at the grassroots level. They have treated J&K as their fiefdom and power as their birthright, he observed.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir have not only reposed their faith in peace, after having realised its dividends, but also vetoed the entitlement of dynasts to corridors of power as a matter of their elite right,” Mr Rana said, adding that the BJP will continue to work towards fulfilling the mass yearning for stability and normalcy in this part of the country--a jewel in the crown of India.
He said the Prime Minister’s mission of Naya Jammu and Kashmir is to be carried forward by consolidating the gains of peace to bring about economic emancipation to the people. The influx of over 1.8 crore pilgrim, nature and adventure tourists last year has brought cheer in the lives of lakhs of stakeholders engaged in tourism trade.
The anticipated two crore arrivals this year has put the administration and the stakeholders in pro-active mode to make the stay of visitors comfortable and memorable. He said the tourism being the major mainstay of Jammu and Kashmir is hugely dependent on peace and this realisation among the people has made all the difference.
Mr Devender Rana also spoke about the domestic and foreign investments pouring in for the infrastructural development and exuded confidence that Jammu and Kashmir will witness a new era of growth and job generation in years to come. The miseries of nearly three decades of turbulence have been overtaken by a promise of bright future in the land of saints and sages where equal opportunities of progress and development are available to all segments of society, irrespective of religion or region, caste or ethnicity as per the Prime Minister’s cherished agenda of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Pryas.