Taking jibe at NC, PDP, Jitendra Singh says BJP brought autonomy, self-rule to Kashmir through DDC polls

Srinagar: Seemingly lampooning National Conference and PDP, Union Minister in PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh on Monday said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had brought autonomy and self-rule to the Kashmir valley through District Development Council (DDC) elections.

“Self-rule should arise from the grassroots….it should not mean the rule of self….same family ruling for three generations was called self-rule. For the first time in Kashmir valley, history has been made. Self-rule and autonomy have come. The parties that promised us self-rule and autonomy for 40 years have failed. The party that they had been criticizing, fulfilled their agenda. PDP should be thankful that we brought self-rule, NC should be thankful that we brought autonomy,” Singh said while addressing an election rally at Khanbal in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

He said it is for the first time that they have realized what self-rule and autonomy mean. “As long as we do not make self-reliant our representative on the ground, we have no right to talk of autonomy,” he said.

“When Panchayat elections happened, they boycotted. But they jumped like a monkey into the poll process when Parliamentary elections were held ….it means do not select a sarpanch but I should be elected Member Parliament. If you have stated that you won’t fight elections till the decision of August 5, 2019, is reversed, then why fight elections. Shouldn’t you resign now,” he added.

Addressing a press conference later here, Singh said the BJP had never stated that the National Conference or the Peoples Democratic (PDP) should not fight elections.

“We never said they should not fight…We only said if they are so much outraged, they should resign and go back to people and raise the matter before the people and then come back to the Parliament,” he said.

When asked to comment on the allegations of the regional parties that they were not allowed to campaign freely as compared to the BJP, Singh said: “BJP workers have made their presence felt through an active campaign….let them come out with concrete evidence and present the same before the Election Commission. The Election Commission will take action.”