Like abrogation of Article 370, BJP will liberate PoJK: Union minister Jitendra Singh

Jammu, Mar 20: Like the abrogation of Article 370, which was "'beyond the imagination" of people, the BJP government led by Narendra Modi will keep its pledge to "liberate" Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

He also took a dig at the National Conference over its criticism of "the Kashmir Files", a recently released movie based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in the 1990s, and claimed the "rigged" assembly elections of 1987 worked as a trigger for the eruption of terrorism in J-K.

"Parliament passed a resolution unanimously in 1994, emphasising that Pakistan must vacate parts of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation. It is our promise to liberate the PoJK," the Union minister told reporters after unveiling a 20-ft statue of Maharaja Gulab Singh - the founder of erstwhile J&K state - in Kathua district.

"Article 370 was removed and it was done in accordance with the BJP's promise even though it was beyond the imagination of many people. Likewise, former prime minister A B Vajpayee had predicted a landslide victory for the party in 1980, which was again beyond the thinking of the people.

"The Modi government took over and under his leadership, all the pledges and promises made to the people, including liberation of POJK, will be fulfilled," Singh, who is the minister of state for Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said.

The bronze statue of the Maharaja, astride a horse, has been made by Padma Shri Ravinder Jamwal, a renowned sculptor of J&K who worked for the last three years on it.

"It is a day of great satisfaction for us to pay our greatest tribute to the great ruler and warrior of J-K... "Our last king Maharaja Hari Singh had said his religion is justice but the region faced discrimination after his forced exile. The sacrifices and services of the Dogra rulers were totally neglected by the successive rulers in the last six decades," Singh said.

However, he said the situation changed after Modi became the prime minister and the projects which were pending for decades were cleared to ensure fast-paced development.

"We have full support and patronage of the prime minister who himself is monitoring the developmental activities in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir," the minister said.

On the criticism of former chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah about "The Kashmir Files" movie, he said "they are terming it a one-sided story because they had buried the truth in the grave under a strategy".

"A couple of families of Abdullahs and Muftis had an understanding with (the then prime minister Jawahar Lal) Nehru. The friendship which started between Sheikh Abdullah and Nehru was taken forward by Nehru's grandson Rajiv Gandhi and Abdullah's son Farooq Abdullah," he said.

Singh alleged, "Farooq Abdullah rigged the 1987 assembly elections by misusing the government machinery and Gandhi closed his eyes, which ultimately became the trigger for eruption of terrorism and subsequent events.

"'Farooq fled to London and a spate of killings which started with the killing of local BJP leaders (creating fear among the pandit community)." He said former governor Jagmohan has written everything in detail in the second edition of his book "My Frozen Turbulence".

"We have not forgotten anything," the minister said.

Singh said JKLF chief Yaseen Malik openly attacked Air Force personnel but instead of facing any action, he was given "VIP treatment".

"It was only this government which has taken action against him - the action which should have been taken 30 years ago. It was possible because of Home Minister Amit Shah," Singh, who is an MP from Udhampur constituency, said.

The minister said when Abdullah returned from London in 1996 and the elections were held, the polling percentage was negligible.

"The party won seats on merely a few percent voting because of the fear psychosis. They want terrorism to continue and enjoy power by becoming chief minister by exploiting the vacuum,"' he said and reiterated his demand for passage of a bill in parliament to make a certain percentage of polling in an election compulsory for the successful candidate.