Jammu 14 January (KNS): JKPCC Chief GA Mir on Thursday claimed that  BJP  government in the midst of a collapsing economy, "turning a disaster into an opportunity to fill its coffers." He said despite lower international prices, the government has "broken all records of profiteering" by exorbitantly raising excise duty instead of passing on the benefits to common people, adding that every household was hurting due to the increased price of gas cylinders .

In a statement issued to news agency-kashmir news service(KNS), He was addressing a public gathering on the occasion of Makar Sakranti at Gangyal ward-56 in presence of JKPCC Vice President Raman Bhalla, District Jammu President Yogesh Sawhney. Prominent among those present on the occasion include PCC Member Block President  Satish Sharma, Block President Surinder Singh Dutt, Shamsher Singh, Sarpanch Kashmir Singh, OP Sharma, Nagar Mal, KK Sharma, Sarnam Singh, Baldev Singh Wazir,  vijay Singh Chib, Kulbushan Sharma, Sanjay Sharma, Suman Preet Singh,  Ludermani Sharma, Gotham Sharma, Vijay Khajuria, Vipan Sharma, Panch Parveen Kumar, Panch Ashwani Kumar, Panch Soma Devi, Panch Prabdyal, Panch Balwinder Kour, Panch Kuldeep Singh Panch Karan, Panch Vicky, SM Bittu beside other.

Speaking on the occasion, Mir said equipped with high degree of public good-will and robust booth level cadre Congress will emerge with flying colours and serve the people and steering the state to peace, progress and development. The recent poll outcome in DDC elections,  the party contested is testimony of the public support, which is available in immense measure in J&K.  JKPCC Chief slammed the BJP for twisting the statistics, and said this spoke of its fear and frustration in the wake of imminent rejection by the people of Jammu & Kashmir. In their enthusiasm, he added, the BJP leaders were forgetting that they have been rejected by people of J&K.“Therefore, they have no reason to celebrate over the so-called edge in some constituencies,” he said, reminding the BJP of their declining vote share in Jammu region.

“Jammu has suffered the most during the BJP’s rule of over six years of ‘misrule’ in, and the electorate has firmly taught the party a lesson by power of their votes for the betrayal,” he said, adding that defeat has unnerved the BJP leadership, and that was why they were indulging in name calling and mudslinging.“Political naivety and immaturity is hugely discernible in the BJP’s discourse,” he said, adding that this did not augur well for the democratic polity. Mir advised the BJP leadership to come of age and go for extensive introspection over the failures in a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir, where it failed miserably in feeling the pulse of the people and assuaging their economic, developmental and political aspirations.He said the BJP leaders had exposed themselves during their stint in the ministry, which cost the people hugely and pushed it to uncertainty and instability.“How long will you hide under the umbrella of central leadership and get on with misadventures, which touched dangerous proportions during over six years of misrule in the state,” Mir asked and advised them to read “writing on the wall” and apologise to the people of Jammu for “ditching” them.

Mir castigated the BJP for “hoodwinking public opinion” by generating euphoria over imaginary development in J&K. He said that lust for power could lead the BJP to compromise with the Jammu pride and dignity. He accused the BJP of undermining the understanding and political sagacity of the people of Jammu. He dared the BJP to spell out just 10 initiatives for Jammu’s growth during the party’s tenure in the government, saying the people of Jammu had a right to know this, as they gave it a huge mandate in 2014.He said the BJP would have to answer as to what happened to its recruitment drive for the border youth, construction of bunkers and allotment of 5 marla plots to border dwellers.“Will the BJP say how many educated unemployed youth were provided jobs in their tenure; why the flagship projects of AIIMS and three Medical Colleges are still on papers; what happened to Smart City project; why implementation of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana could not take off; why Artificial Lake Project and Tawi River Front Project on the pattern of so-called Sabarmati Project did not materialize; why the party failed to regularize the daily wagers and others despite a blueprint drawn by the previous Congress-led government?” Mir fired a volley of questions.

 “BJP has no programme and policy for the welfare of people except to divide the people on communal line,” alleged Mir. He held BJP Government responsible for all miseries of general masses who were ditched by their elected representatives.  He alleged that despite getting huge mandate from Jammu, BJP backstabbed aspirations of Dogras and surrendered for the lust of power. Asserting that Congress is not “anti-national”, he said those who are leveling wild allegations should check the number of their eye-glasses. He said Congress never played regional politics, never pitched one region against another, never played politics based on religion, communal lines and caste and always stood for unity of Hindu, Muslim and Sikhs. Mir  said that Congress is the voice of the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists residing in different regions of J&K. He added that party ideology is inclusive and not confined to any region.

Bhalla speaking on the occasion asked as to why the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state reduced the one-time settlement of POK refugees to a paltry Rs 5 lakh per family instead of the recommended Rs 25 lakh per family by the Congress-led government. BJP has “lost confidence” of the people of Jammu, and further said that due to this, the party's “ship will sink under its own weight”.Slamming the BJP, he said that the ruling BJP in Jammu and Kashmir is the "first and the last political catastrophe". He further said that “ Jammu cannot move forward with this baggage anymore”. The next assembly elections will not only prove waterloo for the BJP but will witness the people's power of rejection with contempt in an immense measure," he said. Launching a scathing attack, he even said that the BJP has been “betraying” the people of Jammu and “ exploiting them as a commodity”.“The BJP has lost the confidence of Jammu by betraying the people and exploiting them as a commodity.

Former Minister said that the acts of omission and commission, inaccessibility, nepotism, favouritism apart from misgovernance and compromising with the interests of the region during its misrule will keep haunting politically conscious and sagacious people,” he added.Calling it a “nightmarish era”, he said that various flagship projects in Jammu are still not completed and thus, BJP has “blundered in undermining the wisdom of people”. "After more than six years, the people of Jammu got to know the meaning of BJP slogan 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', which actually meant 'Vikas' of chosen few who were cradled in the seat of power," he added.The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived by the fundamental rights and basic amenities for the last 6 years since BJP came into power. The educated and unemployed youth of the UT are forced to do labour work in BJP rule.

Bhalla said that BJP has betrayed the citizens of J&K people from the year 2014 in diverse fronts. People have been reeling under miseries.Taking a dig at the BJP led government, he said that the government has failed to create jobs for the youth and instead of creating new jobs, BJP is on the wrong track and is damaging the present job scenario with its new recruitment and retirement laws.From time to time, BJP has come up with the anti-people policies whether it be traffic and transport sector wherein vehicle tax has been increased to 9% and 11% , three farmer laws which would apparently destroy the farming sectors and make the farmers slaves of corporate sector, land laws in the UT of J&K due to which the whole erstwhile state was endangered, he said.

Sawhney in his address said that the matter of fact is that BJP has failed the people of J&K on all fronts and deprived the masses of their rights. However, Congress on the other hand in power for 70 years has taken all the developmental steps people witness nowadays,” he said. Apart from denying the people high speed 4G Internet for more than one year, the BJP has failed to streamline the far flung and border belts with cellular services, he said and added that Congress has done immense initiatives to felicitate the people.Former Minister said that BJP Government has failed to address the genuine concerns of the people of the State.PCC leader lashed out at ruling BJP for failing to address genuine concerns of the people, as a result people were facing lot of hardships in every respect.He also blamed the Govt for being insensitive to people’s problems and failed to concentrate on genuine issues concerning people and now making tall claims about development of State and people.

Sawhney while blaming the Govt said that the process of developmental has come to standstill, although the Govt is making tall claims day in and day out with regard to developmental, but visibly there were no development taking place, anywhere on the ground. He said mere issuing statements won’t serve any purpose which amounts to create confusion among the people in order to divert the attention from the failures of the Govt. Govt failed to address problems confronting people on top priority to ensure their resolution, ensuring that people get some respite from the harsh winter, adding that BJP regime is discriminating with people under the garb of development.

 PCC Member Block President Satish Sharma accused the BJP of having played negative role during its rule in J&K on varied issues including general governance, development, employment, security and policy matters. He said that the aspirations of the people of Jammu region had not only been disregarded but ruthlessly trampled upon by the party leadership. He said that with entire focus of both union as well as state govt on self centric issues, the people of the Dogra land were taken for granted and marginalized. He said that not only the J&K BJP leadership ignored Jammu but the central govt too remained inclined towards self created motives with hardly any initiative taken for addressing the age old bias and prejudice against this region. Flaying the BJP for its submissive posturing and lame duck approach, he said that not a single promise made by it during elections had been honoured or even any initiative taken to fulfill the same. And once again it was trying to use the name of Modi to work as its crutches(KNS).