JAMMU/ LONDON: Ankit Love, chief patron of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) has appealed to the electorate of Chenani constituency to vote for JKNPP president Harsh Dev Singh on 1 October. “Only a vote for Harsh Dev Singh is appropriate sympathy and respect in remembrance of my father Prof. Bhim Singh, and I his only son and sole legal heir. We are fully and only behind Harsh Dev in Chenani.”
In memory of Love’s recently deceased father Prof. Bhim Singh, who won Chenani constituency in 1977 and again in 1982 as founder of JKNPP, Love appealed to the people, “my cousin Harsh Dev Singh is the only candidate that carried on the legacy and legitimacy of Prof. Bhim Singh, and fulfilled his recent dream. The work that my farther and mother Jay Mala so boldly started in forging a collation with Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference and Rahul Gandhi’s Congress parties, Harsh Dev has achieved.”
This was the ultimate and final will of Prof. Bhim Singh and Jay Mala, the dream of a collation of parties in Jammu and Kashmir to align in order to restore statehood, and the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir. Which was by dictatorial and anti-constitutional practices maliciously stripped by the BJP, for their own greed and private gain, and not for the betterment of the people.
Love reminded the people that Harsh Dev Singh, is by far the most educated candidate who studied law at Harvard University, and during his tenure as eduction minister of Jammu and Kashmir built an international record breaking 11,000 new schools and 22 new degree granting colleges in the state between 2002 to 2006. Prior to this monumental achievement, just 32 degree colleges had been built in over 100 years.
“Harsh Dev Singh, is the greatest living statesman in Jammu and Kashmir today. He has upgraded the entire female literacy rate in J&K when he was minister single handedly. Harsh Dev is the bravest and boldest candidate in the elections. He spent over 2 months under house arrest when our democracy was destroyed by BJP in 2019. Harsh Dev filled the winning plea in the Supreme Court of India in May 2023, that returned democratic elections to Jammu and Kashmir after a decade of absence. Harsh Dev saved democracy in J&K, today elections are only happening because of his efforts, let us all not forget that. The BJP did not want to hold elections, BJP did not want our people to have democratic representation.”
Ankit Love attended the Supreme Court of India, along with Harsh Dev Singh and advocate Ajay Singh who filed a petition of behalf of JKNPP in May 2023, that was heard by a bench of justices in December 2023, who ruled if favour of JKNPP and that the Election Commission of India must restore democratic elections to Jammu and Kashmir by 30 September 2024.
Love said, “my beloved father Prof. Bhim Singh, the real founder of the modern secular image of both Jammu and the Supreme Court of India, would be so very proud of Harsh Dev if he were alive today for achieving this historic victory in the Supreme Court that has finally returned democracy to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Nothing mattered more to my father than democracy for the people of J&K, he fought his whole life for this, spending over 8 years in jail for the cause. It is only Harsh Dev Singh that has fought for and delivered what my father prayed for, and his soul is pleased. Let that be clear to all, who have any doubts left on the matter. That is the truth, and the truth alone triumphs. This is the motto of India!”
Perviously, Prof. Bhim Singh moved the Supreme Court of India in 1996 to return democracy and assembly elections back to Jammu and Kashmir which were similarly delayed for nearly a decade then. This resulted in Harsh Dev Singh winning his first election as Member of the Legislative Assembly from Ramnagar constituency, and at the time being the only JKNPP member elected to the assembly.
