Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed eras of development during the NC rule.
Dr. Abdullah’s statement comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah challenged the National Conference to come up with its report card on account of development made in J&K since 1947. The NC came under attack from Mr. Shah in a speech made at a public rally in Baramulla on Wednesday.
“J&K has witnessed eras of development, ushering its people into political, economic and social empowerment. Despite the decades of turmoil, J&K State rose to the top among Indian States in terms of major development indices,” Dr. Abdullah said.
Referring to the Union Home Minister’s speech, Dr. Abdullah said “Mr. Shah was trying to suggest that nothing had been achieved. I don’t wish to get side tracked by some of the other things that were said about guns and stones. The sacrifices of my colleagues over the last 35 years, where scores of NC leaders and workers have been killed or injured by these very guns Amit Shahji accused us of distributing is the only answer this accusation needs.”
The former Chief Minister came up with a long list of achievements made during the National Conference regime in J&K since 1947, like educational institutes, power sector, health sector, industrialisation, democratic institutions and reservation for women and other backward classes.
“The list is by no means complete but is a snapshot of some of the work done. Ultimately people will be the judge of what has and hasn’t been achieved. Perhaps now Amit Shahji can share with the people of J&K what has been achieved in the last 3 1/2 years of Central rule in J&K,” Dr. Abdullah said.
“Population growth rate is 11 percent. The incumbent regime has and may again claim credit for all of this but propaganda and facts are two different things,” Dr. Abdullah said.
