RESTORE PEACE IN J&K, CONG TELLS MODI GOVT

The Congress does not expect any relief to the people of Jammu and Kashmir from the Governor's rule imposed in the state after the collapse of the BJP-PDP coalition government as it is the same BJP at the Centre that has run away from owning its responsibility of creating the mess by ruining the state politically, economically and socially.

"Our only interest is in restoration of peace, jobs to the youth and stoppage of the guns booming all over the state. Yes we want fresh elections but that will be possible only when the Government of India and the Governor take the responsibility to ensure a security scenario in which people can start moving freely without fear," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, a former chief minister, said in reply to a press conference he addressed jointly with AICC General Secretary, in-charge J&K affairs, Ambika Soni and J&K Congress president Ghulam Ahmed Mir.

Asserting that the directionless, agenda-less and clueless policy of the Modi government left the people of J&K in complete despair and this is a grave national concern, the three leaders posed seven straight questions to Modi for salvaging the situation in the state.

In a joint statement, they said: "We caution the Modi Government to correct its flawed approach and work for rebuilding the trust and restoration of normalcy in the state. The people of India and Congress party, shall be watching very closely BJP's actions and the forthcoming developments in the state and shall never forgive nor forget how the BJP Govt is responsible for pushing Jammu and Kashmir into complete darkness."

Azad said the truth came out from the mouth of Home Minister Rajnath Singh justifying the Governor's rule in the state in "national interest" as it is an admission that coalition government run by the BJP and the PDP for the past over three years was "not in national interest."

PCC President Mir pointed out that the Opposition always finds fault with the policies of a government but the whole main stream opposition in J&K fully supported the Agenda of Alliance brought out by the PDP and the BJP after forming the coalition government in March 2015 and even came up to Delhi to plead that it should be implemented.

The agenda was nothing but hollow promises that cannot be implemented and so it ultimately failed. Mir said Prime Minister Modi also tried to fool the people of Jammu and Kashmir by announcing a package of Rs 80,000 crore for the state that was "not a package but packaging of programmes sanctioned by the UPA government."

He said the people of Kashmir valley had voted PDP to prevent the BJP come to power while the Jammu people wholeheartedly voted the BJP seeing its chance for the first time to form a government in J&K. Their alliance came as a shock as it were a short of betrayal of own voters and that gave rise to alienation leading to a spurt in militancy and anti-government movements, Mir said.

Azad said so far those with little or no education were being drawn to the militancy but the PDP-BJP government in the state saw doctors, engineers and even post-graduates taking up guns. Tourism which is the main money earner of the state is again down to 5% because of the worsened situation in the state, he said.