Union minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said the BJP’s Sankalp Patra 2024 for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls promises “Maa Samman Yojana” wherein the senior most woman in the family will be given financial support of Rs18,000 per year.

On the other hand, the National Conference election manifesto, supported by Congress, speaks of restoring Article 370 and 35A, wherein the daughters of J&K would once again be deprived of claiming any right to the land and properties of their parents if any of them chooses to marry a spouse who is not a domicile of J&K, he said.

Addressing an election rally at Chenani in support of the BJP candidate Balwant Singh Mankotia and later another rally at Jasrota in support of the BJP candidate Rajiv Jasrotia, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, this is the difference between the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the opposition parties like Congress and their allies like National Conference.

He said, on the one hand, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over the last 10 years, government has done everything possible to ensure welfare of women on priority regardless of caste, creed or religion and game changing women-centric schemes like PM Ujjawala Yojana, PM Awas Yojna have been rolled out, on the other hand, Congress and its allies look forward to reverse whatever equal rights were made available to women post abrogation of Article 370.

Appealing to women, Dr. Jitendra Singh asked, will you ever accept that your daughter is denied the property rights of her parents simply because she chooses to marry a person outside J&K.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, in the last 10 years Modi has given this region all that was denied by the previous Congress governments and its allies.

Citing an example, he said, in the constituency at Chenani which has the holy shrine of Sudh Mahadev, a new national highway NH-244 is under construction connecting Suudh Mahadev with Kehlani and enroute catering to far flung villages which were in the past not even provided minimal road facility.

At the same time, he said, in the nearby township of Mantalai which was developed by Dhirendra Brahamchari, the yoga guru of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the structure was allowed to be reduced to shambles over the last three decades and it is only now that after Prime Minister Modi came, it has been reconstructed and developed into a modern wellness centre of international standards.

Speaking at Kathua, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, in the last 10 years, Kathua has been benefited with the development works which it had never expected simply because of the patronage of Prime Minister Modi. He gave the example of India’s first ever Industrial Biotech Park, Engineering College, Medical College, Seed Processing Plant, etc. He said, when we have a vociferous BJP MLA from Kathua, it would be easier for the voice of Kathua to be conveyed to the ears of the powers that be.