Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, has lauded Tuesday’s decision of the Narendra Modi government to allow Indians to buy land in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and said that demographic change will be good as it will bring economic boost to the strife-torn region.
The minister also hit out at the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Speaking to India Today TV, Dr Jitendra Singh said, “Gupkar signatories are misleading the people of J&K. This [the government’s decision is real democratisation of land purchase and sale of property. It will be a huge boost to the economy.”
“Those who allege that we are putting J&K on sale, will they leave their bungalows on Gupkar Road in Srinagar city? The freedom for outsider to purchase property in J&K does not mean that insider is deprived of rights to decide to sell their property,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
If there is a threat to property, Gupkar bungalows would be the first to go, the minister said. “But demography is going to be better. It [the government’s decision] would encourage the economy, industry, academic institutions, higher education. There would be an incentive rather than disincentives,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
The minister said the demography bogie is bothering only those who were thriving on the politics of demography and a limited vote bank. “They did not give rights to those who were settlers from West Pakistan. Even Pakistan settlers IK Gujral and Manmohan Singh became Prime Ministers. Those in Kashmir were not given voting rights,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
The demographic change will open flood gates for investments, the minister said. “These people were asking about land notifications. When economy improves, avenues open,” the minister said.
“They [the parties] are already under pressure. If you are journalists, can you speak against the nation? The commoners besides these three dynasties have to follow the law of the land,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
“These parties have one or two leaders. The common man is wary of experiments which were carried out in the last 30-40 years. CBI and NIA are independent bodies. They [the parties] are guided by the mindset of the UPA. The Modi government does not believe in that,” the minister said.
He also said that there was no correlation between the Bihar elections and the NIA raids. “It is not fair to link raids to the Bihar elections. When they say NIA raids are carried out keeping Bihar in mind, it’s because they misused agencies in the UPA time,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
“The people are satisfied and a huge majority supported the BJP. So, they voted whole heartedly. The demand for a UT came in 1948. But the credit goes to the Modi government, and not the Nehru government, for realising the dream,” he added.