In a special edition of ‘The Hot Mic’ exclusively with NewsX, we showcase the voices shaping the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The interview featured Dr. Jitendra Singh with the host Rishabh Gulati Editor-in-Chief. Dr. Jitendra Singh is a key minister from the Prime Minister’s office, renowned for his humility and erudition. He is a candidate from the seat of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. He has been the Maargdarshak of the election cycle under the Prime Minister as the BJP looks forward to elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Interview began with the most obvious question that how confident he is, both personally and for his colleagues fighting from the state, to which Dr. Jitendra Singh opened up and replied, “I feel absolutely confident, because one of the most imporatant hallmarks of the BJP campaigns this time led by PM Narendra Modi is that the main plank it rests on is development, and over the last 10 years the amount of development in various sectors is not only enormous but its miraculous as compared to the preceeding 60-70 years”.
He further iterated that the developmental activities also penetrated through Jammu and Kashmir as it was liberated from certain constitutional barriers which were standing in the way of its mainstream development. He also said,”Jammu and Kashmir is now very much in the mainstream development journey led by PM Modi, with dozens of roadways and bridges under construction”.
Moving ahead with the discussion we asked what was his definition of progress and normalisation of life in Jammu and Kashmir, on which he elaborated, “Even during the G20 I was asked this question and I replied that we have had more than two crore tourists in Kashmir valley in the preceeding year and I believe that it is the biggest testimony of normalcy and peace having returned”.
He further expressed that, “I personally believe that peace and development share a reciprocal relationship and now there is fast track development taking place in Kashmir as well with equitable allocation of resources”.
Further into the conversation, we delved into a more daunting issue, addressing the possibility of the reintegration of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on which he elaborated and said, “I would not be in a position to say that as I would not like to speak out of turn, but what is different now is that there are voices emerging in Pak occupied Kashmir who want to be a part of India, because when they compare the progress that has happened in this part of J&K they feel that they have been let down”.
As the conversation took pace the issue of inheritance tax was brought up on which Dr. Jitendra Singh shared his views and said, “what has been put across by the Congress party is on the one hand a violation of the very fabric of Indian democracy, on the other hand it is also a violation of the ethos of India’s civilizational and cultural values, we have a family system in place which carries a certain legacy”.
He further elucidated on the issue and said, “It is also an appeasement approach has been followed by the Congress party to appease a certain section of society for a vote bank”.
Further, the discussion revolved around the question: Is this a different India, and have we transitioned towards a unified concept of one nation of ‘sabka sath sabka vikas’ to which Dr. Jitendra Singh replied, “Yes absolutely, as there is no longer entitlement for a section or for a family, moreover everybody is equal and the welfare schemes are rolled out directly and very objectively”.
Towards the end, the conversation shifted towards discussing measures to bolster science R&D and elevate India to the status of a scientific nerve center. Regarding this, he shared his insights and and said, “I think we never lacked scientific acumen in this country nor do we lack talent or commitment or potential or hard work , what we lacked was an enabling milieu which is to be provided by the political leadership and that led to containment and lack of resources”.
He added further, “The reason we have taken quantum leaps in space exploration is because PM Modi allowed us to open up the space industry to public-private partnerships”. He further elaborated on the ventures that India has taken in the feild of science such as the deep sea mission and complimented the rich heritage of India that has always bolstered a mix of tradition and science.
The conversation provided us with an insight into the Udhampur constituency of J&K. With the assistance of Dr. Jitendra Singh, we were able to assess the most pressing issues of the region. We were fortunate to benefit from his insights into the matter, and his guidance helped us gain a clearer understanding and a ground report of the prevailing mood in the ongoing elections.
Watch the full video on our NewsX YouTube channel.
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