-
November 4, 2022
Elections may never be held in J&K under BJP rule: Harsh Dev
Udhampur, 04-11-2022: While “Babu Raj” in J&K had become synonymous with corruption, the process of loot, extortion and plunder of govt resources was likely to continue in the troubled UT which showed no sign of Assembly Elections and of restoration of a democratically elected govt therein. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Former Minister and Chairman AAP J&K State Co-ordination Committee. With the present bureaucracy enjoying authority without accountability, a ‘free for all’ kind of situation prevailed in the erstwhile state, said Mr. Singh. He said that the ECI has announced elections for other states without uttering a single word about J&K Elections which are being denied for the last four years since 2018 and which may never be held as long as BJP remained in power at the centre. “If you can manage to hold the reins of power and run the affairs of state without elections, why at all should the ruling party take the risk of seeking peoples’ mandate? Asserted Mr. Singh adding that the people of erstwhile state and its political leadership seemed to have reconciled to the backdoor rule imposed by the saffron regime. “What an irony! The party which catapulted itself to power on the slogans of “one nation, one constitution” had itself dismantled the age old principles of democracy and denied constitutional rights to the people of J&K for the last four years with no hope of democracy getting restored in the downgraded state under BJP regime”, observed Mr. Singh. He was addressing a meeting of party workers at Udhampur today.
Urging upon the party rank and file to work for ameliorating the lot of poor and downtrodden, Mr. Singh said that Aam Aadmi Party stood for safeguarding the rights and interests of common masses as against the power politics of BJP. He said the people were feeling cheated, let down and abandoned under the present regime wherein red-tape, corruption and nepotism had become all pervasive. Throwing all norms, procedures and precedents to winds, the BJP–bureaucrat nexus was allowed to float above the fray and use the resources of the state as per their own whims and fancies. Development funds were being siphoned and extortions were being made from unemployed youth in the name of govt Jobs as noticed in the selections of Sub-Inspectors, Accounts Assistants, JEs, Fire Services, J&K Bank etc. Transfers in govt deptts had become an Industry and the pendency of files in offices had beaten all previous records. There was hardly any connect between the administration and common masses with the latter having last faith in the present governance. And still the BJP govt did not want elections and was averse to handing over power to elected representatives by taking one freakish excuse after the other only to keep its backdoor proxy rule intact in J&K, rued Mr. Singh.
Calling upon the party workers to come to the rescue of people in such hard times, Mr. Singh said that AAP has to take the challenge boldly and steer the state out of the present mess created by corrupt, opportunist politician–bureaucrat nexus.
