Kathua/Hiranagar, Apr 14: Union Minister of State in PMO and BJP candidate for Udhampur-Doda-Kathua Lok Sabha constituency Dr Jitendra Singh Sunday said that the UPA government had demoralised the armed forces, while Narendra Modi after taking over as Prime Minister gave them free hand to strike.
“This not only boosted their morale but also delivered rich dividends for the nation,” he said, while addressing a series of public meetings in different locations along the International Border (IB). He said that during 10 years of the UPA government, armed forces did not have the freedom to retaliate even in the face of the fierce attacks on the border nor did they have the freedom to retaliate even when they were repeatedly subjected to ambush attacks by Pak-sponsored terrorists.
“After PM Modi came to power, the forces were given the freedom not only to retaliate but to take proactive action as per their professional discretion, the result of which was the surgical strike where for the first time Indian forces had the opportunity to strike at the enemy’s base camp and shatter both its defence as well as its morale and ammunition,” the union minister said.
Dr Jitendra said that India unfortunately had to go through times when the indecisive approach of UPA government coupled with appeasement policy to keep a certain section of society in good humour resulted in letting down the armed forces. “This not only resulted in repeated frequent cross-border firing and frequent terrorist attacks, but also led to restraining the army’s enormous potential to fight the enemy,” he said.
“Today, there is not a single incident of stone pelting in the Kashmir valley whereas on the International Border, people have been liberated from the agony of frequently fleeing from their homes and hearths to take shelter randomly in Panchayat Ghar; school buildings or in relatives’ houses. This issue has also been addressed by the Modi government with the construction of family bunkers in each household along the border, which provides facilities almost as optimum as a one-room flat,” he stated.
Very soon, Dr Jitendra said, the new generation of people living along the border, who actually formed the first line of defence, would have forgotten all the hardships that their elders had to go through. “Now they are also cultivating their land up to the last point, which has led to a hike in the income of the farmers along the IB. Similarly raising of exclusive battalions along the border has increased the opportunities of employment,” he said.
Emphasising that the government under Prime Minister Minister Modi addressed the issue of border at two levels – firstly by allowing the army a free hand and secondly by providing ease of living to the people living along the International Border.
The Union minister recalled Prime Minister Modi’s words in his address at the Udhampur rally where he had said that what had been done for this region was only a trailer and much more was yet to come in the years to come. In the same vein, he said, “There is an era of prosperity and new dawn awaiting the people of the border whose children now not only enjoy 4 percent reservation in admission to higher education institutes and jobs but also making their mark by the strength of their hard work and merit in different areas of vocation.”