Rajnath claimed that Jammu and Kashmir would become the number one state of India in case the BJP remained in power for ten years there…reports Asian Lite News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Saturday that unlike Pakistan, India considers the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as their own and urged them to join India.
He was addressing a public rally in the Ramban area of Jammu on Sunday, as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign for the upcoming assembly polls in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I ask all of you to form a BJP government in J&K, and after seeing development in J&K, the people of PoK will say that we do not want to stay with Pakistan. We want to go with India,” Singh said.
“People in Pakistan consider PoK people as foreigners, but India considers the people of PoK as our own. Come and join us, he added.
He also said that the Centre abrogated Article 370 for the prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir and said the BJP has not discriminated against the people of the Union Territory as claimed by the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, and Congress.
“We have never discriminated against anyone. Our Army is here. I want to ask you, do they discriminate? You people are fortunate; we have abrogated Article 370—we have done that for the prosperity and happiness of J&K. What did Article 370 give to you?”
He added, “Be it Congress, National Conference, or People’s Democratic Party, they tell you that the BJP has discriminated against the people of J&K (by abrogating Article 370). I want to tell you, if we do anything wrong, condemn it publicly. We don’t want your support by keeping you in the dark…”
He claimed that Jammu and Kashmir would become the number one state of India in case the BJP remained in power for ten years there.
“I say with confidence that if the BJP government runs here for 10 years, our Jammu and Kashmir will become the number one state of India… Our India, which was at the 11th place in the world in terms of the size of the economy, has reached the 5th place today. I am not saying this; the world’s leading economists and big financial firms are now claiming that India is progressing at such a fast pace. By 2027, our India will stand in third place among the countries of the world in terms of the size of the economy,” Rajnath Singh said.
“A few days ago, I was in the USA, and people of the Indian diaspora asked me what would happen in the Jammu and Kashmir elections. I said with full confidence that the BJP will form the government in J&K with a clear majority,” he added.
Polling in the erstwhile state would be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.
The National Conference and the Congress have forged a pre-poll alliance days ahead of the polls. There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs.
According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
In the previous Assembly elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. (ANI)
Sajad Lone slams Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Sunday alleged that National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah had been the “poster boy” for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Responding to a statement of Omar Abdullah alleging that “jailed leaders were being fielded against him,” Lone said, “Omar Abdullah should have some shame. He is saying that all those who are contesting against him are with the BJP. He should tell the solution then–there is only one that no one should contest against him.”
“It would be better to see what he will do for the people,” he added.
Lone further said, “He had been the poster boy for the BJP and was the MoS in the External Affairs Ministry, and he then defended all the human rights violations and killings of the people. Had he forgotten that time when, after the Babri Masjid incident, no big Muslim leader was ready to sit with the BJP–but the first two big leaders who went along with them were Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah…”
Omar Abdullah on Saturday claimed there was a “conspiracy” that people from prison were contesting against him in the upcoming assembly polls.
“They bring in people from jails to contest against me. Had this been a one-time thing, it could have been ignored. But now when assembly elections were announced and I was declared as the NC candidate from Ganderbal, again I heard someone from prison is going to contest against me. This person has nothing to do with Ganderbal. He might not even be able to locate Ganderbal on a map. I sense a conspiracy in this,” Omar said.
Polling would be held in three phases: September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.
The National Conference and the Congress have forged a pre-poll alliance days ahead of the polls.
There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs.
According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
In the previous Assembly elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. (ANI)
ALSO READ: India can play a role in resolving Ukraine conflict, says Meloni