Jammu, Aug 30 (UNI) Union Minister for Coal and Mines and BJP In-Charge of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections, G. Kishan Reddy on Friday said the upcoming polls represent a movement against terrorism and for the restoration of rights to the people of J&K’.
Addressing a press conference at the Media Centre in Jammu, the Union Minister said “These assembly elections in J&K are not just for vote for BJP but are a movement against terrorism and for the restoration of rights to the people of J&K,” Reddy proclaimed.
Highlighting the transformation in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Minister said before this historic move, the region was plagued by a lack of basic infrastructure, including electricity, roads, water connections, and housing for the poor.
“Local governance was virtually non-existent, with Panchayat and local self-governing elections rarely held. However, the implementation of the 42nd and 43rd Amendments has ensured that funds are now directly reaching villages, empowering grassroots democracy,” said Reddy.
He emphasised that the region is finally free from the scourge of stone pelting, which once involved children being coerced into violence against security forces.
The Union Minister declared that Pakistan-sponsored protests and strikes have come to an end, and Kashmiri Pandits are being restored to their rightful place with dignity and security.
He criticised the Congress-NC alliance, alleging that their manifesto is against peace and development and aligns more closely with Pakistan’s interests than those of the people of India.
He cited former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s efforts to foster peaceful relations with Pakistan, which were rebuffed by Islamabad’s malicious intentions.
According to Reddy, the same hostile policies are the root of the proxy war against India.
The Union Minister further stressed on the critical choice that lies before the people of Jammu and Kashmir: between violence and separatism or peace and development.
He urged the electorate to recognise the history of betrayal by parties like the PDP, NC, and Congress, and to vote for the BJP. He claimed the BJP is the only party committed to the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir especially when it comes to restoring the dignity of marginalised sections of society including women, SC, STs, Gorkhas, Valmikis and West Pakistani Refugees.
Targeting PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti, Reddy accused her of conspiring with Congress and the NC to destabilise the region and return it to an era of violence and separatism.
He questioned why a beautiful state like J&K should be made the epicentre of unrest when people are yearning for development, employment, and the full implementation of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution.
He pledged that the BJP government at the Centre would continue to work sincerely towards developing J&K on par with other states.
Reddy noted that the BJP manifesto will soon be released, and it will address the needs and aspirations of women, youth, farmers, and marginalised communities, including the underprivileged.
He assured the public that the manifesto would reflect the party’s commitment to peace and development across all regions of J&K, particularly in Jammu, which he claimed has long been discriminated against by the Abdullah and Mufti families, as well as the Congress.
The Minister did not shy away from sharp criticism of Congress and its leadership, questioning why Rahul Gandhi has remained silent on NC’s manifesto, which he claims discriminates against women and the underprivileged.
Reddy called on the Congress to clarify its position on critical issues and accused the party of double standards.
He alleged that the NCP-Congress alliance is hell-bent upon destroying peace in J&K and warned that the combine’s plans to bring back Article 370 would once again separate J&K from the rest of India and undo the progress made since the BJP’s abrogation of the law in 2019.
Reddy also took a strong stance against the Congress-NC’s alleged plans to release militants and reopen cross-LoC trade with Pakistan, arguing that these actions would invite separatism and terrorism back into the region.
He described Article 370 as a black law that was against the rights of the poor, women, and SC/ST communities.
