| Cong synonym of development, secularism and national integration: Azad | | Whirlwind road-shows all along border areas of Kathua | | Early Times Report
HIRANAGAR (KATHUA), Apr 3: Kicking off the second leg of his campaign, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also Congress candidate for Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, today, conducted a whirlwind road-show in the border areas of Hiranagar and Kathua assembly segments.
Ghulam Nabi Azad participated in about 50 Road Shows organized jointly by Congress and NC leaders and workers of this border belt and interacted with cross sections of the people.
Accompanied by his wife Shamima Azad, Ghulam Nabi Azad and his son Saddam Nabi Azad were attired in Dogra turbans with people garlanding them and raising slogans in favour of Azad and Congress party. The women folk present in number of road shows in the border belt greeted Shamima Azad and pledged to canvass door to door to seek every vote in the name of Azad.
During his day long road shows that concluded late in the evening, Ghulam Nabi Azad described Congress party as "synonym to development, secularism and national integrity." He highlighted that "130 year old Congress party has played great role in freedom struggle. Thousands of workers and leaders sacrificed their lives, remained jailed till we got Independence. After Independence, it was Congress that scripted the future of the country and advanced towards the path of development". "Development in any sphere cannot be done over night but the consistent and committed efforts of Congress has brought India on the world map, which is now one among the leading nation of the world," he pointed out.
While interacting with the people at numerous border villages including Ghagwal, Sanoora, Rajpura, Lala Chack, Sherpur, Jandi and Hirnagar Town, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that he was aware of hardship being faced by the border residents who always bear brunt of shelling from across the border.
"I am aware of the pain and agony of the inhabitants of border areas because I am in constant touch with the people of this belt", he said and reminded the gathering that in the month of December last year he had visited this border belt when there was unprovoked firing was started from the across the border.
"After our visit to the border areas, we had brought problems of the border residents to the notice of Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Home Minister. The issue was discussed that whenever there is loss of human life in militancy related incident, the family members are provided with one government job and ex-gratia relief upto Rs 6 lakh. But in case there is loss of life due to firing from Pakistani Army at border, the relief is just Rs 1 lakh," he said and informed the people that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh immediately constituted three Committees to solve problems of the border residents.
"But before the said committees could present their recommendations to mitigate the woes of the border people, there was implementation of Model Code of Conduct and no further action could be taken," informed Azad.
While addressing the road shows at Chakara More, Mathra Chack, Sanji Morh, Banyari, Kot Punnu, Mukandpur Camp, Chadwal, Chann Arrorian, Hamir Pur and Rajbagh, Union Minister Azad further said that he is also aware that no compensation has been paid to those border residents whose land have been acquired for Defence purposes.
Flanked by Congress Minister of State for Cooperatives, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, NC MLA from Vijaypur, Surjeet Singh Slathia, MLC Subash Gupta, former Congress Minister Gulchain Singh Charak, former Congress MLA Girdhari Lal Chalotra, Ghulam Nabi Azad took a dig at BJP for its false propaganda against Congress and described it as just an attempt to hoodwink the innocent people. |
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