- Assembly platform should be used to focus on urgent issues of different sections instead of playing to galleries
- Assembly should pass the unanimous resolution implementing the 2014 package for refugees.
Jammu, March 26 : Hitting hard the Home Ministry and the LG administration for the withdrawal of security escorts and downgrading of the security of Congress MLAs and others on selective basis, Congress has sought answers over this vindictive and discriminatory approach of the authorities in the dual control system in the absence of any accountability due to the failure of the centre government to restore the promised statehood.
Addressing a press conference at PCC HQ Jammu today, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla, former minister Mula Ram, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Ved Mahajan, along with others, the party strongly criticized the selective and vindictive actions in the matter of security and questioned if the lives of elected MLAs are less important than top-ranking police and civil bureaucrats, who avail more security than elected representatives and other veteran leaders of non-BJP parties.
They questioned the sudden withdrawal of security escort to PCC President and CLP Leader and other Congress MLAs and also MLAs of other parties on a selective basis on the eve of the resumption of the Assembly session and asked if the same yardsticks were applied to the high ranking police and civil officers, as MLAs are elected representatives and above the Chief Secretary and DGP in protocol and facing risk to their lives. Even middle-rank police officers avail more security cover than MLAs and top-ranking political leaders of non-BJP parties. Such arbitrary, selective, and discriminatory actions are highly condemnable, even after the Pehalgam attack and serious attempt on the life of Dr. Farooq Abdullah.
The senior congress leaders said that the assembly is resuming session for few days only and people of different suffering sections are keeping high hopes on positive discussions and outcomes in the assembly debates, which should focus on urgent issues, rather than playing to the gallery for cheap publicity by few parties. Explaining the burning issues, they said that war situation has hit the people hard and people are facing acute crises on various fronts, like LPG and fuel and here is a panic-like situation after the speech of the Prime Minister referring to the lockdown situation. The assembly should debate on it and find out the steps to minimize the expected sufferings in the days to come.
They said that PCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra had submitted certain resolutions on behalf of the party regarding the regularization of daily wagers, need-based, contractual, temporary, and other such workers and employees working on different nomenclatures for years, besides the issue of refugees of 1947, 1965 & 1971 and the issues of KPs and the issues of flood-affected people, but these were not listed due to some system of selection for listing.
We urge the Assembly to unanimously pass a resolution for sanction of full package of 2014 recommended by NC-Congress Govt. for refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 by the Centre and to release left out amount of 30 Lac per family and other components besides resolving their ST-2 status issue, the Assembly should also urge the Centre to grant adequate relief to e flood affected people waiting for relief and rehabilitation for nine months.
Shri Raman Bhalla said that Centre has neglected the worst sufferers of floodsand given meager amount of packagebut individual sufferers are facing hardships. The Housing of urban development has been deprived of any funds, as a result the reconstruction work is pending in urban Areas and demanded adequate funds in this regard to restore and reconstruct the damages.
Former Minister Shri Mula Ram raised the issue of non-availability of seed and fertilizers to the farmers, who have already suffered a lot due to floods last year as their crops, paddy and live stock suffered huge loss. He also raised the issue of non-bifurcation of family ration cards. He also raised the issue of unflated electricity bills from smart meters and demanded a check on this by discussing issue in the Assembly.
Mr. Ravinder Sharma also raised the issue of SIR and said that Congress will strongly oppose any deletion of genuine voters in Jammu and Kashmir. He also warned over the addition of any ineligible voters and said that the party has strong apprehensions due to the experience in other states, after the SIR exercise.
Sharma also expressed grave concern over the alleged custodial death of Balbinder Singh, a BSF Jawan and demanded a fair CBI probe to bring out complete truth. It is a serious matter and congress stands for fair probe, as the videos of his body show torture marks..
The congress leaders also raised the issue of strike of para-medical employees over two and half days salary, as a result patients faced lot of problems and demanded that Govt. should hold talks to resolve their genuine issues without delay.
On the issue of NLU Shri Bhalla said that Congress Govt. headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh had sanctioned two CUs for Jammu and Kashmir, so BJP MLAs should approach Centre Govt. to grant two CLUs without delay.
The senior congress leaders urged the opposition BJP MLAs and others not to play politics for publicity on public issues and people’s sufferings and involve in constructive debate and discussions to resolve the urgent issues of people of cross sections of society especially unemployed educated youth.