SRINAGAR: Senior BJP leader and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh, said on Monday that a democratic setup was established in J&K for the first time by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after conducting three-tier Panchayat elections. However, he stated that Congress failed to remove Article 370 during its tenure, whereas BJP rolled it back as it was a temporary provision.
“Grassroot-level democracy flourished for the first time in the history of J&K. This was missing for the past 70 years,” he said, while talking to reporters at a function. “Democracy didn’t exist in J&K earlier. Today, democracy is at the grassroots level, and this is the first time in the past 70 years.”
He was responding to a query regarding whether Assembly elections would be held in J&K.
When asked about the hearing of the Article 370 case before the Supreme Court, he mentioned that the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had stated in the Constituent Assembly that the article was temporary and would be abolished. “Pandit Nehru had told Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee that this time (Article 370) will gradually be abolished. But Congress couldn’t remove it. In fact, they should thank the BJP and PM Modi for fulfilling something promised by them,” Singh said.
Regarding the events in Bengal, he stated that political hypocrisy had come to the fore. “Those who used to accuse the Centre of killing people are themselves killing civilians. There is a governance failure, and state terrorism exists. In a democratic setup, there is no place for state terrorism,” expressed Dr Singh. However, he evaded the query on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Dr Singh mentioned that PM Modi provided a great platform for the youth of the country and created a sense among them that employment is not limited to government jobs but also includes starting their own business ventures. “We committed a big sin intentionally or unintentionally by keeping the J&K youth away from the great and endless opportunities available across the country. There are lakhs of youth in the country who are earning a dignified living through their own start-ups,” he added.
He further stated that the next 25 years would witness significant changes across India, with J&K being a part of that transformation. “The youth of Kashmir want to move ahead, and there are great opportunities waiting for them,” he concluded. (KNO)
