Pulled out of coalition as PDP ignored Jammu, Ladakh: Shah

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 23

BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday broke his silence on the party’s decision to break its three-year-old alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in J&K, saying, “the party (PDP) was not interested in sharing resources for the Jammu and Ladakh regions announced under Rs 80,000-crore Prime Minister package”.

Justifying his party’s decision, Shah said the BJP could not be the part of any such government which discriminated against regions while implementing developmental plans and failed to restore peace on ground.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent crores of rupees for balanced and equitable development of J&K, but the PDP-led government ignored the interests of Jammu and Ladakh. The development in both these regions, which voted overwhelmingly for the BJP during the last parliamentary and Assembly polls, lagged. So we decided to quit the government,” Shah said while striking a ‘pro-Jammu’ and ‘pro-Ladakh’ card during a public rally here.

This was the first visit of the BJP chief to J&K after his party pulled out its support to Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government on June 19. He was addressing a rally to mark the death anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.

“I had decided to speak about the party’s decision on the break-up only in front of Jammu people who have voted for us in the last parliamentary and Assembly elections. How could a government be run like this where a soldier was abducted and killed, an editor was killed in broad daylight and which did not allow the equitable development of Jammu and Ladakh. I know it will trigger a debate but let us talk on documentary evidence,” Shah said while launching a scathing attack on the PDP.

Shah said the BJP had patiently waited for years, but the government did not implement any of the programmes framed by the Central government.

“This is our right to question the PDP on account of implementation of developmental projects in the state,” he said.

The BJP chief while presenting some documentary proof said, “Modi-led government announced Rs 80,000-crore development package for the three regions of the state. About Rs 61,000 crore was even released for 63 projects but not even a single project was undertaken in Jammu. We thought that if we have to run the government like this then we have no right to remain in power and it would be better for us to be in the opposition”.

He said that it was the Centre’s duty to sanction funds and schemes for the state, but their proper implementation was the state government’s responsibility.

“Due to non-implementation of projects and schemes, the future of Jammu’s children was being played with. The PDP stalled all progress for them. The truth is that they (PDP) were not interested in sharing resources for Jammu. It even refused to give land to set up an AIIMS in Jammu,” Shah said.

He added, “Five medical colleges were to be established in Jammu and Kashmir, of which three were in Jammu. In all other places, academic sessions have started, but the formalities of the colleges in the Jammu region are yet to be completed and another academic session of educated youth was spoiled”.

Later, he, along with party’s national general secretary and national secretary Saroj Pandey, Union minister Jitendra Singh and party MPs, also launched a book on the life of Mookerjee.

‘Rahul must apologise for remarks of Azad, Soz’

Jammu: In a blistering attack, BJP national president Amit Shah on Saturday asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to tender an apology to the nation and countrymen for the controversial statements of Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz. “Azad, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has made a statement which I can’t even repeat here. His statement was immediately welcomed by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). I want to ask Rahul as what kind of frequency matching is this between the Congress and LeT that they (LeT) are supporting Azad’s statement,” Shah said while addressing an impressive rally here on Saturday evening. Azad had reportedly said the action of security forces was more against civilians than militants while Soz backed former Pakistan President Musharraf’s statement on Kashmiris’ “independence” in his book. Shah, who arrived in Jammu on a two-day visit, said the Congress chief must explain the people of the country as what kind of relation his party had with the LeT. Continuing his attack, he said Soz wanted to break away Kashmir from India which, he said, his party would not allow at any cost. “I want to tell Soz that you take 100 births but the BJP will not allow Kashmir to secede from India. You should stop dreaming this. J&K is an integral part of Hindustan and it will remain so,” the BJP chief said. TNS