Jammu, September 24 (Scoop News)- Referring to the resolution adopted at the Congress convention in the presence of its General Secretary & State Incharge Ambika Soni demanding implementation of 73rd amendment of constitution in the state, BJP National Executive Member & State Chief Spokespersons Dr. Jirendra Singh said here today that it only betrays the double standards followed by the Congress party on the issue and indicates that the party has been quick to learn from its coalition partner National Conference, the art of being in government but talking like an opposition party. BJP will not allow the Congress party be privilege of having the cake and eating it too by enacting this farce, he added.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Congress party should make its stand clear on the issue of 73rd and 74th amendments of Panchayat Act and explain whether it genuinely supports the implementation of these amendments in J&K or not, and if it does support the implementation of these amendments, then what prevents it from going ahead since it is a part of the government in the state, and if it finds itself unable to carry forward its agenda, then the propriety demands that it should immediately step out of the coalition government.
Taking a dig at the Congress party, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the State BJP was the first to demand the implementation of 73rd and 74th amendments of Panchayat Act about three years ago when the Panchayat elections were announced in the state and later the State Executive Committee of BJP also adopted a resolution demanding the same, and now the Congress party which was a part of the government at that time and even today has suddenly woken up to make the same demand. It is an irony that the Congress party had to be reminded by the BJP that 73rd and 74th amendments were the brain child of their cherished leader Rajiv Gandhi and it is also a part of the Congress manifesto, he added.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the coalition government has a vested interest in not implementing 73rd amendment in J&K because this will give independent administrative powers to Panchs and Sarpanchs, and deny the NC-Congress coalition ministers an access to several hundred crores of Central grant which will then be routed direct to the elected representatives in local bodies without any scope of embezzlement by the coalition ministry. He said, for similar reasons, the coalition government, from time to time, declares its intention to hold elections to the Municipal Corporations, Committees and Urban Bodies but never actually goes ahead with it.
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