Jindrah: Union Minister and senior BJP leader Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday accused previous governments and local representatives of deliberately neglecting remote areas like Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging they discriminated against the region as part of appeasement politics aimed at maintaining their vote banks.
He said that the decades of discrimination ended only after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, ushering in a new era of equitable development and giving the region its long-denied share.
Addressing a massive by-election rally in support of BJP candidate Devyani Rana, Dr. Singh said that in the last decade, backward regions like Nagrota have become part of mainstream India, witnessing rapid transformation with the establishment of prestigious institutions such as the IIT and IIM.
He praised senior BJP leaders Jugal Kishore Sharma, MP, and Nand Kishore Sharma, District President, for their commitment to the party during difficult times and for mobilising the cadre to lift the region out of backwardness and underdevelopment.
Recalling the condition of Jindrah before Jugal Kishore’s first election as a BJP MLA, Dr. Singh said the main road was in disrepair and water scarcity was so severe that residents had never even seen a tubewell.
Highlighting infrastructure progress, he said connectivity and basic service delivery have improved substantially, bringing Jammu and Kashmir closer to the national development standard. The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway passing through Nagrota, he noted, is nearing completion and will cut travel time to Delhi to just around six hours.
Dr. Singh asserted that the Modi government has changed India’s political culture by focusing on need-based, rather than vote bank-based, governance. He cited welfare schemes such as the PM Ujjwala Yojana, which provided LPG connections to women irrespective of political affiliation, and the PM Awas Yojana, which offered homes to the homeless regardless of whom they voted for.
“The BJP has delivered the fruits of development to every section of society,” he said, adding that the party stands for “justice for all” and works beyond caste, creed, or regional lines. He credited Prime Minister Modi with ushering in a governance model focused on equitable growth across all regions.
Appealing to young voters, Dr. Singh described them as the key decision-makers of today. He urged them to reflect on their future and determine which party offers a stable and promising path. “You will find no better alternative than the party led and guided by Modi, where every worker is accountable,” he said.
On a personal note, Dr. Singh shared that his grandmother, Durga Devi — who passed away 25 years ago at the age of 93 — hailed from Jindrah. Recalling the early 20th century, he noted how girl children were denied opportunities afforded to boys, and said that under PM Modi, the nation has come full circle, with special focus now on ensuring equal justice and opportunity for girls.
Senior BJP leaders, including MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, District President Nand Kishore Sharma, MLAs Balwant Singh Mankotia, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Dr. Manyal, and Dr. Bhagat also addressed the rally.
