Jammu, Aug 8 (IANS): DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that he will stand like a rock to defend the interests of local people and will not allow anyone to take over the local resources since the people of Jammu and Kashmir are its primary stakeholders.

Azad lashed out over the prevailing regime and said that the misgovernance and lack of transparency in the system has pushed the people of UT to the wall and the government of India must hold the Assembly elections.

“It is unconstitutional to deny people for so long their democratic right to choose their representatives. Jammu and Kashmir which was one of the oldest states of the country cannot be governed administratively.

“We need development, good governance and public participation to keep democracy alive in this part of country,” he said while addressing a gathering of workers at Bhagwah, Dessa in Doda.

Azad said whatever good he had done in Jammu and Kashmir as Chief Minister; the present regime is destroying it brick by brick.

“Be it Roshni scheme, or other socioeconomic projects all have been targeted and people are systematically disempowered.

“Under the Roshni scheme people were empowered to secure their livelihood and the hospitals were built for proper treatment of patients, roads were built to connect people and economy.

“You can see now not only land rights were snatched, these hospitals have staff deficiency, roads are not maintained which has hit the economy of common people,” he said.

Azad promised his workers, if he is elected to power, he will restore the Roshni scheme and will create abundant job opportunities for the local youth.