R S Pura (Jammu): The central government will resolve the issue of war refugees in Jammu-Kashmir in a time bound and phased manner, BJP President Amit Shah said on Monday.
"I assure the refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 that the central government will act on their issues and demands in a time bound and phased manner immediately," he said at a school in the border area here during his maiden visit to the state after taking charge as BJP chief.
Striking an emotional chord with the people living in the border helmets, Shah said the party and the country understands the pain of the people who have to suffer due to Pakistani firing and assured them of all assistance.
"We feel the pain of border people affected from Pakistani firing. I assure you that the people of the country and BJP are with you. I bow my head before you for your patriotism and remaining firm in your border hamlets despite Pak firing," he said.
Shah said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed the India troops to give a befitting reply to firing by Pakistan.
"We will not tolerate it," he added.
"We know your problems and issues and we have an emotional attachment with the refugees of J&K," Shah added.
The BJP chief, who was accompanied by Minister of State Jitendra Singh and other party leaders like J P Nadda and Ram Madhav, claimed that BJP will form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir and the party will get a majority in the assembly as it got in Lok Sabha.
The border migrants of R S Pura sector spoke to the leaders about the problems faced by them due to incessant firing from across the border.
The migrants sought rehabilitation to safer places and demanded five marla plots for each migrant family.
With eyes on state assembly polls, Shah sought to woo the people of Jammu, saying the party will help the region get justice as it has been given "step-motherly" treatment by governments during the last 60 years.
Shah attacked the Omar Abdullah government and asked people to shun dynasty politics in the state.
He said he has come here with a message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wishes to usher in development in the state for it move along with the country on the path of speedy progress.
"For 60 years the people of the Jammu region have been facing injustice. The BJP government will help get justice for Jammu, as the various governments have meted out step-motherly treatment to the region," he said.
Hitting out at dynastic politics, he said, "BJP is fighting to make 'Congress-mukt bharat' (Congress free India) and Jammu and Kashmir is also part of the country. So to make J&K Congress-free, you have to fight to make the state free from Abdullah and Mufti."
He also hit out at the Omar Abdullah government over the incident of targeting of community kitchens for Amarnath Yatra pilgrims.
Shah also said the BJP government will help get justice to those who suffered during the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars. On continued shelling by Pakistan along the border, he said, the BJP regime will give a befitting reply to them.
Reaching out to the people of the region, which has 37 assembly seats out of 87 in the state, the BJP chief said time has come for Jammu and Kashmir to move along with the country's progress and BJP will help it in doing so.
Listing out major achievements of the Modi regime in the first three months of coming to power, he said in 60 months, the government will accomplish more than 60 things. "If there is a BJP government in the state, the state will benefit largely," he said.
BJP is on a 'Mission-44' in the state to win an absolute majority so that it can instal its government.
"Have faith in BJP, which will ensure speedy progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Former MP from Udhampur Lal Singh also joined the BJP at the rally. Shah welcomed him into the party fold saying he has come to the "right place".
Apart from Singh, his wife and former MLA from Basohli, Kanta Andotra, former director general of Punjab police, P S Gill were among the two dozen former bureaucrats, Army officials and Engineers, who were inducted into the party by BJP national president Amit Shah at the function.
Welcoming Singh and other workers into the party fold, Shah said "Singh is now with the BJP and after a long time he is in the right place... BJP accepts him by heart".
Lal had left Congress in July by attacking leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad for denial of mandate of Udhampur Lok Sabha seat from where Azad contested in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and lost to the BJP's Jitendera Singh.
Singh - who hails from Kathua district - had won the 2003 and 2008 Lok Sabha elections as Congress candidate from Udhampur. He was elected to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as MLA in 1996 and 2002 polls. He became minister for health and medical education in the Mufti Mohmmad Syeed-led coalition government in 2003.
