BJP continued Prez’s rule for fear of loss: Azad dares Centre to hold polls

#“Return 'our old India' with a culture of love; keep your 'New India' where humans are afraid of humans”

JAMMU: Tearing into the BJP-led government at Centre, Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Monday accused the saffron party of ruling Jammu and Kashmir indirectly through President's rule in the state, even as he termed the last five years of Modi government a complete failure regarding the spike in militancy and death of security personnel.
The leader of the opposition launched a scathing attack on the government and its policies, and said under the 'New India', humans are afraid of humans, those glorifying killers of Mahatma Gandhi are in the ruling party and hatred and lynchings are at its peak.
"Keep your New India to yourself but return our old India where there was a culture of love and ...where there was no lynching and no hatred...Where Hindu and Muslims used to feel the pain of each other," Azad demanded while speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha.
Azad claimed that militancy has spiked in Jammu and Kashmir and civilians and the armed forces have faced the worst losses in the last five years.
“Ever since militancy was curbed 15 years ago, it witnessed highest deaths of army personnel and civilians,” Azad said terming the Modi government’s first term as a complete failure.
Azad dared the government to hold elections in Jammu & Kashmir, and alleged it had continued President's Rule for its convenience.
"If you claim that the panchayat and general elections were a success in Jammu and Kashmir, then why did you not hold Assembly elections in the last one-and-a-half years?" Azad questioned.
He also accused the BJP of ruling Jammu and Kashmir indirectly through President's rule in the state.
“BJP knows well that it cannot come to power in the state and so it is controlling the state through President's rule,” Azad said.
The state is without an elected government since June last year when BJP pulled out of its coalition government with PDP, leading to imposition of Governor’s rule, followed by President’s rule.
During this duration, elections to Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies were held successfully last year, followed by Lok Sabha elections recently.
No terror-related activity occurred in these elections, even as the Centre made it a point to boast of how peaceful and successful these elections have remained.
The election commission of India has ruled out the possibility of conducting Assembly elections in the state before mid-July, when the annual Amarnath Yatra concludes.
Referring to the President's speech on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th anniversary celebrations, Azad in his speech said unfortunately a candidate of the ruling party called the killer of the Father of the Nation a patriot and no action was taken and the candidate was a parliamentarian now.
"My tongue will burn...I cannot repeat the remarks...I have a complaint to the Prime Minister, why didn't you take action. Mahatma Gandhi may be Congress President but he was Father of the Nation...I would not have mentioned it here but President's speech mentions his birth anniversary celebrations ...BJP should take action...It still has time till October...," Azad said.
Azad, while attacking BJP for defending 2008 Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thankur, however did not mention her by name and said: "How is this possible and how someone can defend this? Though it doesn't make any difference to us, this is a blot on the face of the ruling party which cannot be wiped out."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House during Azad's address.
On New India, he said it was full of hatred where people were afraid of people and not afraid while being in Jungle.
"In old India, there was no hatred, anger or lynching. New India is one where humans are enemies of each other. You won't be scared of animals in a jungle but you'll be scared of humans here. Give us India where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians live for each other."
He added: "I request you to keep the 'New India' to yourself and give us our old India where there was a culture of love. Hindus used to feel the pain when Muslims and Dalits used to get hurt. When something used to get into the eyes of Hindus, Muslims and Dalits used to shed tears for them."
Reacting to a recent case of lynching in the state, he said, "Jharkhand has become a factory of lynching and violence. Dalits and Muslims are being killed there every week. PM Modi, we are with you in the fight of 'Sabka saath sabka vikas' but it should be there for people to see it. We can't see it anywhere."
In a recent lynching incident, Tabrez Ansari, 22, died in a Jharkhand hospital on Sunday, days after he was brutally thrashed by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Seraikela district on suspicion of stealing a bike.
The lynching was reported days after similar incidents in other parts of the country.
Azad said the BJP government banked on tall promises and publicity and failed to translate things into reality.
"We prefer to remain in opposition for 1,000 years but cannot adopt your path...We cannot run government through TV..We can afford to be out of Parliament...A party can win on decisive policies but the Nation has lost..We want victory of the country," he said.
He said rapes were at an all time high including henious crimes like rapes on minor and that "Beti Padhao and Beti Bachao" was just plain talks.
Azad said crime against women have risen manifold and urged government to ensure 50 per cent reservation to women in Parliament as it was having absolute majority.
He said Congress's attempts were thwarted last time though the Women's reservation Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.
Unemployment, he said was at its peak with government trying to curb reports by various agencies and that the youth who voted for BJP needed justice. He said as per NSSO report, the unemployment was highest in the last five years.
On triple Talaq legislation, he said, the Opposition was also in favour but the government's intent should be clean.
Azad said that rays of hope for communal harmony were not visible under the new regime as the Ministers who issued statements against minorities and Dalits were not changed and cited example of how former PM Rajiv Gandhi had removed a party general secretary for a statement against communal harmony then.