STATE TIMES NEWS
REASI: Asserting that Congress Party has played a historic role in steering the country to its present status as an ‘emerging power’, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that it is the Congress Party which has represented the masses ever since its inception in 1885.
He said, Congress Party has led the country both in the pre-independence and post-independence phase successfully and effectively with focus on strengthening of democracy, institution-building, scientific and technological advancement, infrastructure building, educational progress and social and economic empowerment, and all the initiatives of successive Governments have steered the country to new heights in all the spheres of life.
Ghulam Nabi Azad was speaking at a number of public meetings in Chenani, Reasi, Gool-Arnas, Gulabgarh and Devsar Constituencies which are slated to go for polls in the second phase. Ambika Soni, General Secretary AICC also addressed the gatherings while Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLC and contesting candidate, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, MOS and contesting candidate Gool-Arnas, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, contesting candidate Gulabgarh-Mahore, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Ex MLC and contesting candidate and other prominent leaders were present.
Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s emphasis on rural areas, Azad said that Congress Party launched numerous popular and successful initiatives like 73rd Amendment, MGNREGA, Indira Awas Yojana, Sarv Siksha Abhiyaan, National Rural Health Mission, Mid-Day Meal,etc to ameliorate the lot of rural India.
“Ten years of UPA Government created state-of-art infrastructure on an unprecedented scale across the length and breadth of the country”, said Azad.
Seeking a decisive mandate, Azad said that Congress Party will revive an era of progress by ensuring justice to all regions and sub-regions of the State with special focus on remote and hilly areas like Reasi, Gool, Gulabgarh, Mahore, Bani, Chenani, Billawar, etc.
He said that Congress-led Government in a limited span of two and a half years gave a new paradigm of growth and development to the State with thrust on inclusiveness and efficiency.
Azad asked, “I ask the people, is there any political party which has better report card than us on the front of development and good governance?”
Questioning the credentials of PDP in the light of its tall claims of fighting BJP, Azad said that how can people of the State accept their sermonising rhetoric when its covert attempts to support BJP in the Chenab Valley region, both in the Parliament and Assembly elections, have become a hot buzz across the State.
Taking a dig at PDP, Azad said that our biggest fault was to ask PDP to transfer power after three years in accordance with the agreement reached between the two political parties, and that itch still seems to be troubling them, and often, impels them to spread misinformation.
Ambika Soni, while speaking on the occasion launched a frontal attack on BJP, saying that it has miserably failed to fulfill the promises it made to the people of the country during the Lok Sabha elections, and as such, has gradually started backing out on those promises.
Ambika Soni asked, “Has the BJP fulfilled its promise of bringing back all the black money within 100 days”? She said that people of the country are eagerly waiting to receive the promised Rs 15 lakh per household which the BJP Government will distribute after bringing back the black money.
Ambika said that Congress Party has the ability to accommodate all the sections of the society and its contributions in the empowerment of weaker and marginalised classes like women, youth, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, etc has been outstanding.
“Congress party works for the welfare of the people and country quietly and tirelessly, while BJP Government focuses on publicity and photo sessions”, said Ambika.
