NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi, Dec 06
Congress leader Raman Bhalla off late has been making lot of noise (halla) and blaming BJP for being insensitive to the needs of people. Amongst his latest tirade is the accusation that “BJP has abandoned people living along the International Border and LoC in the Jammu region,” he has further alleged “the hapless border people have been left on the mercy of God amidst heavy Pak shelling.” Raman Bhalla needs to remove his blinkers and gather facts before making such accusations, said Brig Anil Gupta Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party.
“On the contrary successive Congress governments of which Raman Bhalla has been a senior minister failed to look after the welfare and interest of the border residents. Other than exploiting them as a vote bank and making false promises to them Congress did nothing for them. I challenge Raman Bhalla or the Congress to name even a single measure introduced by their party when in power for the welfare and safety of the border dwellers,” said Brig Gupta.
It was the BJP government headed by PM Modi that for the first time ever thought of the safety of the border residents and sanctioned construction of 14460 individual and community bunkers costing over Rs 415 crore in Jammu region. As per PTI news dated 05 October 2019, Divisional Commissioner Jammu had informed that “over 8600 community and individual bunkers had been constructed along the Line of Control and the International Border in five districts of the Jammu region”, reiterated Brig Gupta.
BJP has also granted full citizenship and all inherent rights to the West Pakistan refugees who were being treated as second rate citizens by the same trio by abrogating Art 35A and 370. The majority of the border residents have benefited from this bold and historic decision of Modi government. BJP has also raised two border battalions of state police in addition to five battalions of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) with 60 % reservation for border residents, added Brig Gupta.”While for the Congress, the party which Raman Bhalla represents, border residents are a mere ‘vote bank', they are “a strategic asset” for BJP and the party would go to any extent not only to safeguard their lives but also ensure a better quality of life for them,” assured Brig Gupta.
