Vijaypur, Sept 16: Apni Party’s Vijaypur Assembly candidate and former minister, S. Manjit Singh, launched sharp criticism against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a series of public meetings held across Vijaypur, Parmandal, Bari Brahmana, and border villages. Singh accused the BJP of betraying the sentiments of the Dogra community after winning 25 seats in the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections and forming a coalition government with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking at the gatherings, Singh claimed that the BJP’s approach has been “dishonest” towards the people who voted them into power. He argued that, despite holding power for nearly a decade, the BJP has failed to deliver any meaningful development to Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Vijaypur region, leaving the administration in the hands of a bureaucracy under the party’s control.
“The people of Vijaypur and Jammu have suffered without development for ten years. Unemployment has increased, drug addiction and smuggling have escalated, and basic infrastructure like roads has deteriorated,” Singh said. He specifically pointed out the poor condition of the Jammu-Pathankot highway as a major issue, linking it to an increase in road accidents and fatalities.
Manjit Singh also criticized the BJP’s alleged “divisive agenda” and accused the party of using high-profile marketing strategies to distract voters from real issues such as unemployment, crime, and poor infrastructure. He further alleged that the BJP compromised the pride of the Dogras by allowing the downgrading of Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a Union Territory after its bifurcation in 2019.
“The Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir built a strong Dogra state, which has now been reduced to a Union Territory by the BJP,” Singh stated. He blamed the party for eroding the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, which, he said, was once the “crown of India.”
If elected, Singh promised that the Apni Party would restore statehood, ensure the empowerment of every section of society, and implement policies that prioritize the interests of local people. He emphasized that the Apni Party would fight against the BJP’s agenda of keeping the Lieutenant Governor more powerful than the elected government.
“We will restore statehood with full powers to the people, ensuring no outsider grabs Jammu and Kashmir’s resources,” he concluded, vowing to protect the constitutional rights of the people.
