STATE TIMES NEWS
Banihal: Asserting that people of Jammu and Kashmir have the right over all its resources, former Chief Minister and chairman Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that government should ensure that locals should be given first preference as they have claim by being natives.
“Our sand, stones, minerals are not given to us but contractors from outside are preferred which deprives our people of rights over sand, stones and minerals,” Azad said addressing a massive gathering of people from all villages here.
Not interested in contesting polls: Azad’s son Saddam
Banihal/Jammu: After joining the Democratic Azad Party (DAP) founded by his father Ghulam Nabi Azad last month, Saddam Azad on Tuesday said he is not interested in fighting elections to be an MP or an MLA but wants to work to make Jammu and Kashmir a paradise in real sense.
He said leaders like his father are needed by J&K to steer the region to prosperity and development rather than those who are speaking “too much and work less”.
“I do not have any interest in fighting elections and becoming an MP or an MLA as I do not have any liking for these (positions). I do not believe in making false promises but my desire is to work for the people of J&K and make the region a real paradise,” Saddam, 41, told reporters at the end of a public rally organized by the DAP in Banihal, the home town of Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani.
Earlier, during his address to the well-attended gathering, Ghulam Nabi Azad launched a veiled attack on Wani and said though he was not interested about his children following his footsteps into politics, Saddam and his sister Sofiya along with their cousin Mehboob decided to strengthen his hands in response to the personal attacks on him.
“I was not willing to bring my children into politics. I have treated some leaders like my own children but I was not aware that they would grow to become snakes and start biting their master. My children decided to chase such leaders,” Azad, a former Congress leader, in an apparent reference to Wani.
Introducing his children to the people along with other senior party leaders in the first major party rally in Banihal, he asked people to support his children and the party as “after my death, they will fight for your rights and will work towards eradication of ignorance and poverty.”
Saddam Azad, who did not address the gathering, said he wanted to do “something solid” for Jammu and Kashmir unlike the leaders who talk too much and work less.
“The youth of J&K is looking for a change and the next election is very important. J&K is bestowed with natural beauty but is dubbed as paradise in books only. The real paradise is where the people are happy with peace in their hearts and minds, enough employment opportunities and sources of livelihood. We all will work under the leadership of Azad to make J&K a paradise in real sense,” he said.
He said Ghulami Nabi Azad has made no big promises and he had done 10 times more than what he said about his works as chief minister of J&K.
“People know what the leaders of different parties have done over the years and let them decide the fate of the parties (in the elections). I want to tell them they should give us a chance now,” Saddam Azad said.
He said the people in Jammu and Kashmir are politically mature and “the time has gone when they used to be hoodwinked. I want to tell every other politician not to make false promises and give hope to the people who are disappointed.
“We have to remove the disappointment from the faces of the people and it is possible when we work hard and believe in ourselves to make a change. J&K needs a leader like Azad to steer the region to prosperity and development,” he said.
By empowering people of JK, Centre would be strong enough to deal with China and Pakistan as these neighbouring countries attempt to destabilise the country. “For last 35 years, people of JK have suffered due to militancy and thankfully when government has been able to control militancy, it should now help us by providing relief in terms of granting rights on jobs, land, sand, contracts, civil works as unemployment is rampant here,” Azad told an impressive gathering here which he said is massive after DPAP was launched five months back.
Assuring people of Banihal of providing world class infrastructure as he did as Chief Minister, Azad said he and his party, DPAP doesn’t believe in policy of discrimination.
“For me and my party, DPAP, every citizen of JK is equal irrespective of caste, religion and region. I will ensure that all Banihal villages would be connected through roads with more infrastructure to change the economy of Banihal,” Azad said appreciating people for attending the DPAP meeting today.
Banihal was the assembly constituency in Jammu province represented by Congress state president Vikar Rasool in last assembly.
Emphasizing that he launched DPAP to make JK prosperous and bring out it of the morass which the present government is pushing it into by implementing anti people policies like land eviction, tax imposition, recruitment agency mess, Azad said my record of two and half years as Chief Minister stands testimony to my vision for JK’s future so as to make it number one state of the country.
“I have seen politics as politician for 45 years. I was minister at the age of 30 under Indra Gandhi’s Prime Ministership. I was part of every cabinet under former Prime Ministers of Congress party like Rajiv Gandhi, Narsimha Rao, Manmohan Singh. I left national politics to serve my people and I will do that till I am alive,” he said.
“I want serve my people as I saw them suffer since 1989 as we lost thousands of youth, women were widowed and kids orphaned,” he said.
Stressing that people now are witnessing weak government as it can’t depute doctors in hospitals, teachers to schools which I established in every nook and corner of JK, Azad said District Hospitals, Sub District Hospitals, High and Higher Secondary Schools, Degree Colleges and Medical Colleges are few examples of my developmental model.
“The double shifts during my tenure in short span enabled completion of Hajj House, Assembly building, Tulip Garden, hospital, school and college buildings. 80-90 hospitals with 200 beds in most places of JK; 8 in Jammu, 7 in Srinagar are few examples of my work,” he reiterated.
Azad emotionally told the public meeting that he would serve people till his last breath as he loves them for being with him always.
“My son Saddam Nabi Azad, my daughter Sofia Azad, my nephew Mehboob Azad and senior leadership with youth leaders would continue to serve people of J&K and reddress their issues of concern,” he added.
Those who spoke on the occasion include Mohd Amin Bhat, Salman Nizami, Ilyas Banhali, Muneer Bhat, Fayaz Ahmad, Asif Khandey, Danish Chaudhry, Fatima who spoke about their contribution in helping people of Banihal.
The entire DPAP leadership was present, including GM Saroori, Taj Mohiudin, Abdul Rasheed Dar, Saddam Nabi Azad, Gulzar Wani, Haroon Chaudhary all district presidents, office in bearers and youth leaders.