STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said here on Tuesday that Gupkar parties are hiding their identity in Jammu region and their candidates belonging to Congress, National Conference and PDP are campaigning in District Development Council (DDC) election without using their Party Symbol.
Addressing a series of public meetings in Bishnah and R.S. Pura areas of district Jammu, Dr. Jitendra said, the candidates from Congress, National Conference and PDP, who are a part of the “Gupkar Alliance”, have realised that their parties have lost credibility and are apprehensive of inviting displeasure of the people of Jammu.
It is a ridiculous and hilarious scene to watch, he said, when the candidates of these parties are found campaigning in different parts of the Jammu region holding Tricolour in hand and trying to befool the voter by saying that they are also supporters of Narendra Modi.
Tearing apart the duplicity of “Gupkar” parties including Congress and National Conference, Dr. Jitendra said, while campaigning in the Kashmir Valley, the leaders of these political parties say they will restore Article 370 but while campaigning in Jammu region, they say that they favour abrogation of Article 370 done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This double-speak, he warned, may have paid them dividends till two decades ago, but it gets instantly exposed in today’s time of real-time reporting and electronic media. Hitting out at the earlier governments of Congress and National Conference for not allowing District Development Councils to be constituted in Jammu & Kashmir, Dr. Jitendra said, they did so because they wanted to keep all the authority centralised with them so that they could manipulate and embezzle the funds coming from the Centre as part of the allocation for the local bodies.
He said, it will be through the local bodies including Panchayat and District Development Council members that priorities will be decided for carrying out even small development works like construction of lanes and drains, instead of leaving this to the discretion of higher authorities who are not directly connected with the ground situation.
Describing the constituting of District Development Councils as opening of a new chapter for Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Jitendra said, this will be the first time in seven decades that people here will understand the true essence of democracy.
They are going to get a voice which will have a communication channel for redressal of their issues, he added.
