“Instead of indulging in rhetoric, the BJP must realize the damage caused to the rights of the people by scrapping the constitutional provision based on the 1927 enactment of the permanent resident law by the great Maharaja”, Mr Sadhotra said while interacting with prominent people at Raipur in Balwal.

 

          He said the insult to the injury of the J&K people is that while Ladakh has succeeded in securing safeguard to jobs and lands, a double yardstick is being applied to us. This has already resulted in terms of lands allotted to outsiders and attempts being made to open up jobs to the non state subjects at the cost of the bonafide permanent residents here, he said, adding that Jammu is going to suffer the most being in close proximity to the chances of non-state subjects making their way to Jammu are more likely because of its proximity to other parts of the country and conduciveness in terms of security scenario, culture, topography and terrain.

“By now the self-proclaimed champions of the Jammu cause must have understood the folly the Centre has committed”, the former minister said, hoping that the people, irrespective of region or religion will rise above myopic political considerations to seek documented guarantee in respect of safeguard to lands and jobs.  

 

Mr Sadhotra took on the BJP for its failures in every sector and causing unrest among the people over administrative and developmental inertia. The unprecedented inflation has subjected the people to miseries with housewives braving the brunt in particular as the prices of essentials have touched skies, primarily due to hike in the fuel prices. The people have been forced to take to the streets during the scorching summers, he said and hoped the ruling dispensation will show some sort of empathy with the suffering people rather than making false claims. The administrative credibility is all time low, given the deliverance and performance in various sectors of development. The power and water supply continues to be erratic while the roads are pock marked by ditches. The accountability seems to be the last priority which is disgusting, he added.

 

Mr Sadhotra asked the BJP to concentrate on governance rather than dividing the people and indulging in falsehood. These are not going to take Jammu and Kashmir anywhere, he said and cautioned against testing the patience of the people, who feel pushed to the wall. Same is true about the youth both educated unemployed as also skilled and unskilled workforce due to growing unemployment. The pandemic times have added to the malady. He made a passionate appeal to the administration not to let the situation go out of hands and fill up the vacancies on the fast-track basis besides undertaking special drives in the police and other para military forces, he added.

 

Mr Sadhotra also exhorted the party workers to intensify mass contact programmes, identify the problems faced to the people and remain proactive in seeking their redressal from the concerned forums.

 

Others who spoke on the occasion are S/Sh Raghbir Singh Manhas District President, Ghar Singh Chib Corporator, Randhir Singh Jamwal Secretary Distt. Ex sarpanch Bhupinder Singh Jamwal, Rakesh Sharma, Baldev Singh Jamwal, S Gurnam Singh.

 

Former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra interacting with prominent people at Raipur in Balwal Block.(KNS)