Hitting out at the ‘dynastic’ parties in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP President and Union Health Minister, JP Nadda on Friday said they always gave step-motherly treatment to the Jammu region, whereas the BJP government focused on delivering justice to the region and ensuring its overall development.

Speaking to media persons here, Nadda said, “We will now get the people of J&K rid of these ‘dynastic’ parties, including Congress, National Conference (NC), and PDP.”

Advertisement

The BJP President said that the people, particularly the youth in Kashmir, have voted in large numbers for peace and development, rejecting the bullet.

He added that while Congress and NC speak of releasing terrorists from prisons and resuming talks with Pakistan, the BJP practises ‘zero-tolerance’ towards terrorism.

“The ‘dynastic’ parties shed crocodile tears for the Jammu region, but we have constructed Asia’s highest bridge on the Chenab river to provide rail connectivity to the Kashmir valley and also built the Shahpur dam to irrigate the arid agricultural lands of the Jammu region,” he said.

The Jammu region has become a hub of quality education after the abrogation of Article 370. The Modi government has established premium institutions such as the AIIMS, IIM, IIT, and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication here. An AIIMS is also coming up in Kashmir, he said, adding that five hydroelectric projects are being constructed to make J&K a power surplus region.

He stated that the electorate in the first two phases of voting has endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s peace, stability, and development initiatives in J&K.

He expressed optimism that BJP candidates will receive people’s support in the third and final phase of polling on 1 October.

He said that the polling has been peaceful, without any terror attacks, booth capturing, or untoward incidents. Diplomats from 16 countries visited the Kashmir valley and witnessed the historical occasion of a peaceful and unprecedented turnout of voters.

So far, around 58% polling has been recorded, compared to the 6% to 8% in the past under the rule of ‘dynastic’ families in J&K.

Nadda said that the BJP empowered the West Pakistani refugees to vote for the first time in assembly elections. During the past 75 years, Congress, NC, and PDP had denied them this right. Moreover, for the first time, nominated MLAs from the PoJK refugee and Kashmiri Pandit communities will sit in the J&K assembly.

Nadda said that the situation in J&K has considerably improved, with the local youth focusing on building a better future instead of picking up arms. He noted that while 300 to 400 youth used to join militant ranks in the past, only four persons have been declared as terrorists this year.

In a jibe at the Congress, Nadda said that statehood to J&K will be restored by PM Modi, and not by the Congress, which is in opposition in Parliament. The Congress leadership is ‘betraying’ the people by falsely promising to restore statehood to J&K, he added.