Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) president Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday described former Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP, as a “towering leader”.
“I do not want to discuss it in detail, as I have left the party [Congress]. However, the [former] CM of Maharashtra, who has left, has contributed a lot. His father was also a Chief Minister and Union Minister and served the Congress along with other family members. In one major region of Maharashtra, he [Chavan] was the only towering leader. The Congress could have been revived in Maharashtra but now this is really sad,” said Mr. Azad, who is touring the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.
Mr. Azad’s party, which is yet to get an election symbol, will fight its maiden Lok Sabha poll this year in J&K.
Promises Roshni scheme
Addressing a rally in Poonch on the second day of his tour of the Rajouri-Poonch belt, Mr. Azad promised to reintroduce the Roshni Act, a law declared null and void by the J&K High Court. Under the Act, the government had regularised 20 lakh kanals (equivalent of around 2.5 lakh acres) of State land occupied by local residents. “I made the Roshni Act pass in the J&K Assembly. I will reintroduce the Roshni scheme once I come to power. It benefited deserving farmers, whether a Hindu or Kashmiri or Gujjar or Bakerwal or a Rajput Brahmin. I will safeguard the land of small-time farmers and locals. This is achievable,” Mr. Azad said.
He stressed the need for concerted efforts to counter terrorism and maintain peace in the region. “Constructive engagement and community involvement are vital components in fostering a culture of peace, harmony, and progress,” he said.
He underscored the party’s unwavering commitment to defend the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the context of Article 370 and land eviction orders. “The DPAP will continue to prioritise the protection of land rights and the implementation of job rights, if elected to power,” he added.
While recounting the measures taken by him as the J&K Chief Minister in the past, Mr. Azad said no development should take place on religious lines. “I will come up with schools, hospitals and roads not for a particular section but all. We need to stay together. Otherwise, we will vanish fighting each other,” Mr. Azad said, while quoting famous Urdu poet Sir Muhammad Iqbal.
He also urged Gujjars and Paharis to “bury the hatchet” after the recent move by the Centre to include Paharis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, fuelling protests from the former. “Gujjars, Paharis and Kashmiris have lived together for centuries and should continue to do so. We need to sow seeds of harmony,” Mr. Azad said.
Highlighting the infrastructure upgrade in Poonch, including the opening of the Chakan Da Bagh crossing point with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Mr. Azad said, “I want to redo many things but need as much support from a Kashmiri as a Gujjar, or a Hindu or a Sikh,” he added.
