BJP releases Jammu & Kashmir manifesto: Key promises

Union home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday released the BJP manifesto with 25 promises for the upcoming J&K assembly polls.

"Since Independence, Jammu & Kashmir has been important for our party. We have always tried to keep this land intact with India... Our party believes that J&K has always been part of India and it will remain so. Till 2014, J&K always remain in the shadow of separatism and terrorism. Different state and non-state actors kept the state unstable. All the govt dealt with the state with a policy of appeasement. Whenever the history of J&K will be written, these ten years after 2014 will be marked as a golden period for the state," said Shah.

#WATCH | Jammu, J&K | Union Home Minister Amit Shah releases BJP's manifesto for the upcoming state assembly elections.Jammu & Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina and other party leaders are also present. pic.twitter.com/frZ6HQ5mHu
ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024

He said he had seen the mute support of Congress towards National Conference 's agenda. “But, I want to say to the country that Article 370 is history, it will never return, and we won't let it happen. Article 370 was the thing that gave weapons and stones in the hands of the youth..." he said. He also recalled the efforts of figures like Pandit Prem Nath Dogra and Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Shah also said that  Narendra Modi introduced reservations for various communities, including OBCs, Gurjars, Bakarwals, and Pahadis, who had been deprived for years. "Reservations of the OBC have now been increased. The Gurjars, Bakarwals, and Pahadis were deprived of reservations for years. And today, we started giving reservations to these sections under the Modi government," Shah said.

Shah is expected to interact with BJP workers on Saturday.

Here are the key promises.

•White paper will be issued to fix the responsibility of those involved in the emergence of terrorism in J&K

•Rehabilitation scheme for Kashmiri Pandits.

•'Ma Samman Yojana' to give Rs 18,000 to the eldest lady of every family, each year

•Two free cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme, per year

•Under Pragati Shiksha Yojana, Rs 3,000 travelling allowance to college students per year

•Providing assistance  via the state governemnt for Women SHGs on the issue of interest on bank loans

• To provide tablets/laptops to students studying in higher secondary classes in remote areas

• Promises to create 5 lakh employment opportunities in Jammu & Kashmir through Pandit Prem Nath Dogra Rozgar Yojana

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that Jammu and Kashmir, now a Union Territory (UT), will hold its elections in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, 2024. The results will be declared on October 8. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs).