Sham hails high voter turnout in Kashmir: A New Era for Jammu Kashmir Democracy
BJP leader credits peaceful elections to PM Modi’s leadership, urges voters to reject dynastic parties
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Expressing satisfaction and happiness over the brisk polling percentage in the first phase of elections, senior BJP leader and party candidate for Jammu North constituency, Sham Lal Sharma has said that the current elections will write a new chapter in the history of Jammu Kashmir. The higher poll percentage, particularly in Kashmir Valley is a healthy sign of stronger democracy and it could be possible with the hard and serious efforts of the BJP Government headed by Pradhan Mantri, Narendera Modi in Centre, Sham asserted.
Addressing a series of public gatherings in Jammu North segment, Sham said that top leadership of National Conference (NC), Congress and PDP are desperate to see the high percentage and peaceful polling in Kashmir valley for the first time after the three long decades of militancy. Earlier, the elections were being held under the shadow of militancy in Kashmir, without any enthusiasm and dismal involvement of people and only selected people and agents of NC, Congress and PDP used to cast their votes with a symbolic percentage and representatives were being elected even with 5 to 10 percent polling. The elections were marred with blasts, threats and violence, but it is for the first time after the eruption of militancy that the polls have been held in a very peaceful and cordial atmosphere and without any incident of violence in any party of Jammu Kashmir, Sharma observed.
Sham said that those who were shedding the tears of crocodile after the abrogation of Art-370 from Jammu Kashmir and saying that there will be bloodshed and no one would pick the national flag in Kashmir must have got the appropriate answer of their questions after witnessing the huge participation of voters in the election. This is also an acknowledgement of people in favour of abrogation of Article 370, which was used as a tool to befool the Kashmiri people. The higher poll percentage could be a sign of danger for these parties as the mood of the voters has been totally changed in the Valley and they have locked the destiny of representatives of their choice without any fear and threat, he added.
Holding fully responsible to NC, Congress and PDP for the bloodshed in Kashmir during the past over three decades, Sham said that these parties misled the people and only made false promises and hollow slogans in the name of so-called Self Rule and Autonomy in Jammu Kashmir. Instead of working for the welfare of people and providing justice to the needy, they supported the pro-Pak agenda, anti-national forces, promoted separatism, communalism and incited peoples’ sentiments against India.
The people of Jammu Kashmir, particularly from the Valley have suffered a lot, witnessed long spells of hartals, closure of educational institutions for months together which spoiled the future of thousands of young children and shattered the economy. Now, after the abrogation of Article 370, the entire situation has substantially been changed, people are leading a peaceful life, developmental activities are going apace normally, educational institutions are functioning normally, tourist flow has increased many-fold and there is no takers for the hollow slogans and false promises of the parties any more.
Now the people have understood the reality of NC, Congress and PDP who are again talking about restoration of Article 370 and bringing back the era of militancy, but they will not succeed in their design and people will defeat them badly in the current elections, Sham asserted.
Urging the people to reject these dynastic parties in the current elections for misusing the power and playing with the sentiments of voters for decades together, Sham sought wholehearted support for BJP to form the next government for a strong, secured and prosperous Jammu Kashmir.
Those who spoke and present in the meetings included Mandal Adhyakshs Ravish Mengi, Suresh Khajuria, Ex Corporators Yashpal Sharma, Subhash Sharma, Er Dilbahadur Singh, Zorawar Singh.