Union Minister and BJP candidate from the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency Dr Jitendra Singh said on Monday that the Congress-led UPA government harmed national level Shahpur-Kandi and Ujh MultiPurpose projects in the Kathua district to appease their vote bank by allowing India’s share of water of River Ravi to flow into Pakistan.
In a series of election rallies in the upper hilly reaches in district Kathua, Dr Jitendra Singh said the most unfortunate part is that for 10 years under the UPA rule this region was represented by Congress MLAs and MPs who did not raise their voice for the interest of the constituency as they were keen to keep their Kashmir-centric masters in good humour.
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that as per the Indus Water Treaty 1960, which was accomplished by the Congress government led by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Satluj, Beas and Ravi would be part of India’s share of water. However, the successive Congress governments, including the UPA, did not fulfill the commitment made by their own leader, Nehru, and the Congress leaders from this region also did not raise their voices.
It was only when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, he said this project was revived after nearly 30 years and now the Shahpur-Kandi project is almost fully functional whereas the Ujh project is going to start soon which was also announced by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat during his address at Kathua rally on 21 March.
A vote for Modi and for the NDA Government is crucial to avoid repetition of the era of appeasement and regional discrimination which the entire belt of Kathua and Billawar had to suffer for six decades, he said.
Appealing for a vote for Modi and the BJP, Dr Jitendra Singh said whatever the Congress leaders might say outwardly, in their hearts of hearts they are aware of the fact that even their workers and relatives are going to vote only and only for Modi.