New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that DDC’s free and transparent elections in Jammu and Kashmir, coupled with enthusiastic voter turnout, are a “moment of pride” for India, while also responding to its rivals for giving ” lessons in democracy “.
In a blow to Rahul Gandhi, who recently claimed there is no democracy in India, Modi said that while his government completed three-tiered panchayat surveys in Jammu and Kashmir, it was more than a year since the region became a territory of Union, the Congressional dispensation in Puducherry did not hold local organ elections despite an order from the Supreme Court.
Launching the Ayushman Bharat scheme via video conference to extend health insurance benefits to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir, he said that the three-tiered panchayat system has taken shape at UT, describing it as a realization of the dream of Mahatma Gandhi from ‘gram swaraj’ (village self-government).
He then added that he would like to share his pain with the nation this time.
“Some people in Delhi curse Modi day after day and launch abuses. They regularly offer me lessons in democracy. I want to show them the mirror today,” he said, criticizing Congress for not holding local elections in Puducherry.
“The party of those who teach me democracy is in power in Puducherry,” said the prime minister, without naming the Congress, which has governed the UT since 2016.
It shows the gap between what some parties preach and what they do, and also highlights their commitment to democracy, he said in a comment to his rivals.
Noting that elections for local bodies were last held in 2006 in Puducherry, he said that his term ended in 2011, but that no new elections were held.
“You will be surprised to learn that the Supreme Court had issued an order on this in 2018, but the government has been delaying it,” the prime minister said.
Surveys by the district development council in Jammu and Kashmir have written a new chapter in the troubled region and strengthened democracy, he said.
Noting that people defied cold weather and the COVID-19 pandemic to enthusiastically participate in the elections, the prime minister said that he had heard from all political parties about the high level of transparency during the elections and how free they were.
“I am so proud … This is a proud moment for India,” he said, praising the local administration and security forces.
These election results have yielded winners, many of whom come from the masses and who have won because of their work, not their name, he said, in a dig into the dynastic parties.
“This is the beginning of a new leadership of a new era in a new decade,” he said.
He said that the BJP was once part of the government in the old state, adding that it withdrew because the saffron party wanted panchayat elections and for the people to have their rights. In these polls, people have left history behind and voted for a hopeful future, he said.
With each Jammu and Kashmir resident now eligible for health insurance of up to five lakh rupees, Modi said it was a historic day for the region.
In an apparent reference to Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and was repealed by his government last year, Modi previously said that most of the schemes and laws destined for the country had the provision “except for J&K “.
This has gone down in history, and more than 170 core laws are now applicable to the union’s territory, giving its people their rights and ending all discrimination, he added.
“This is our government’s commitment that no part of the country is deprived of development. Better living conditions in all territories will further strengthen national unity and integrity,” he said.
An official statement said that some six lakh families from UT were receiving the benefit of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and now all 21 lakh families will receive it.
Noting that its residents can avail health insurance anywhere in India except in a state like West Bengal, the prime minister mocked the Trinamool congressional government there for not joining the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The Center has undertaken the comprehensive development of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
Modi said a big mistake by those who were in power for decades in the country was to ignore the development of the border regions, including Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states, but his government has rectified it.
He said that around 18 lakh of LPG cylinders were refilled in Jammu and Kashmir during the pandemic. More than 10 lakhs of baths were built under the Swachh Bharat program, he said, adding that it also contributed to improving people’s health.
The installation of IIT and IIM in Jammu and Kashmir would help provide quality higher education to students, he said, noting that two AIIMS and two cancer institutes are also being built on the territory of the union.
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