Udhampur February 17:(KNS)  J&K Pardesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Thursday organized membership drive in Udhampur under the leadership of JKPCC President GA Mir and JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla  organized by District Congress Committee Udhampur  under Ex MLA and District President Krishan Chand Bhagat besides General Secretary Yogesh Sawhney, Ex. MLA Dina Nath Bhagat, Rajnesh Sharma,  Sewadal Chairman Vijay Sharma Babbi,  Minority Department Chairman Gurdarshan Singh, Transport Department Chairmen Gajan Singh, OBC Department Chairmen Suresh Dogra . Prominent among those present on the occasion include Madam Preeti Khajuria, Sumit Mangotra, Dwarka Prasher,  Sahyed Shakeel Shah, Yashpal Sharma, Asha Partab Singh,  Suraj Parksah Ch, Amar Singh, Vimmy Sharma beside others.

According to a statement issued to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Speaking on the occasion, Mir said  rise in the prices of almost all the things, including essential commodities has become a common feature these days. The Government failed to do anything in this direction. He said, the increasing prices of daily commodities have become a headache for the citizens of the nation.He said that the NDA regime has been a period of broken promises, as the election promises made in 2014 by a Prime Ministerial aspirant have turned out to be false. The Union Government is yet to take steps to check price hike of essential commodities. He added that BJP's promise of providing employment to the youth of J&K also turned out to be hollow and its failure on this front can be well gauged from growing disillusionment and frustration among the unemployed youth of J&K

Mir described the Delimitation Commission draft report as bizarre and said his party would not allow any attempt to divide the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He termed the report as a sheer mockery of the universally accepted and constitutionally established norms of peoples’ representation.He expressed concern over the repeated attempts of disempowering the people of J&K by coming up with atrocious measures one after the other.  First, the state was bifurcated and its status degraded as a Union Territory and thereafter the exercise for the delimitation was undertaken despite strong pleas of putting it on hold keeping in view the legal challenge in the apex court of the country against the decisions taken post-August 5, 2019.

“The Centre, however, continued with its agenda to disempower Jammu and Kashmir,” Mir said, adding that the Congress was framing up a detailed response to the draft report which was patently against the constitutional morality, constitutional propriety and constitutional values. "They want maps of assembly constituencies to redrawn in such a way that benefits them most politically", he said. "The whole process of conducting assembly elections is being subjected to undue politicking which unfortunately is taking its toll on the development of the state. Having an elected government is the unassailable right of the people in a thriving democracy, but here the right to make a choice is being denied to the people," Mir said.

Mir said the tall promises made with the people have not been fulfilled and the people in this part of J&K are feeling duped.He also apprised the first time voters about the power of their vote and emphasized them to gear up for a big change, as that, their vote can bring a better change in the society, which is the need of the time. He appealed the young brigade to come forward for a better change in the State, as the J&K has suffered enormously on every count due to the political exploitation under BJP rule. He said Congress is duty bound to empower every section of the State equally especially the youth, who hold the key to development and can change the direction, for which they need to rise to the occasion to show the power of their vote in the future elections.

“I would urge the youth not only of this Assembly segment but the youth in J&K to remain steadfast to serve the people to the best of their ability and ensure defeat of political exploitation. They should strengthen the Congress Party, which under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi feels duty bound to empower the youth and other sections of the people from grass roots level,” Mir added.“J&K has become a victim of the harmful policies of BJP. The people are looking forward to a Congress Government under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

Our commitment will always remain development, employment and to bring back peace, which was derailed after the BJP took rein,” he said and claimed that Congress brought peace to Punjab, Mizoram and Assam through dialogue and will adopt same strategy in Jammu and Kashmir.He demanded early assembly elections and restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He pleaded that the good governance is of imperative necessity to serve the people in democratic setup which J&K Government is missing. The BJP has hurt the emotions of common people, mainstream politicians. It will have serious implications, which unfortunately, the BJP government doesn’t understand.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla said Govt is only killing and buying time with futile programmes and accused BJP for weakening grass roots democracy after its failure to fulfill the promises made to the general masses.He said that so far BJP has only befooled people with false promises. Being the ruling party at the Centre and having secured heavy mandate in the elections from Jammu region, he blamed BJP for its total failure to address the genuine problems and concerns of the people. Alleging that the people of J-K were witnessing the "ugliest situation on every count", Bhalla questioned the "delay" in holding assembly elections and granting statehood to J-K as promised by the Centre in Parliament.

Bhalla asked the Centre to fulfill its promise rather than making u-turns and indulging in misadventures aiming to gain political mileage, which the BJP has been doing since it assumed power". However, the people have realized that they were being exploited and used for electoral gains by BJP. They have decided to defeat its designs," he said.JKPCC Working President said efforts to weaken the Congress party will be thwarted."The party is committed to fight against the injustice, discrimination and the biased attitude of the BJP government towards the grievances confronting the people both in Kashmir as well as in Jammu, who are suffering equally on every count," he said.

Bhalla urged the people to support the Congress party in its endeavour to ensure their problems and issues related to unemployment, development; economy, security and others are addressed.He expressed anguish over "the way the BJP government was treating the people" of Jammu and Kashmir and said they were "feeling disappointed over the deteriorating security situation, lack of development, rising unemployment and other multiple issues".

Bhalla also rejected the draft report, saying that norms have been violated while carrying out the exercise. Disapproving the wiping out of several assembly constituencies from J&K’s political map, he added  same has been the case with merging assembly constituencies of the two provinces into a single Lok Sabha Constituency which sans reason and logic.” Asserting that there should be no political interference in the delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir, he said some people do not want assembly polls to be held in the Union Territory."I know that some people do not want elections to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Let us see how long they will be successful in their conspiracies", he said.

Bhalla claimed the growing public support for Congress has unnerved forces that are inimical to the interests of the state. "That is precisely why they are not persistent about having the elections at the earliest," he said without naming anyone."However, people of our state have understood the game plan of the forces as are striving hard to obliterate our identity. With the help of God and the unflinching support of people of our state, the Congress will trounce all the political machinations as are being contrived to divide the voice of the people of the state," he added.
JKPCC General Secretary Yogesh Sawhney in his address expressed serious concern over the difficulties concerning people on account of local issues and blamed the Govt for failing to address the developmental needs, besides expressing serious concern over the rising unemployment in J&K.The developmental scenario has received set back since the BJP Govt assumed power at Centre, as that, the projects started during UPA I& UPA II in J&K have come to stand still, the irony is that many under construction roads and other projects reportedly awaiting completion for a long, he rued.

District President Krishan Chand Bhagat pledged that his party was committed to the welfare of the common people and would strictly follow the public outreach programme in order to listen and redress their grievances.He said there is growing resentment among right-wing activists as well. However, he said that they do not show resentment due to political compulsions. He criticised BJP dispensation in causing unrest among the educated unemployed youth, farmers, small businessmen and workers and Government failure in providing necessities of life to the people.

Ex. MLA Dina Nath Bhagat  also blamed the Centre for unprecedented price hike in petrol, diesel and other essentials and hit out at the Centre for failing people on this count.He said despite hue and cry, the Centre Govt was not even ready to listen to people or roll back the prices, which has caused immense hardships to people, the day was not far when people will be forced to abandon their vehicles and walk by foot to reach their destination, he warned and reiterated that Centre Govt must roll back prices to ensure that the unnecessary burden on the people was reversed.(KNS)