Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: Former minister and senior National Conference leader, Ajay Sadhotra has alleged that BJP betrayed and always took Jammu people for granted. It has humiliated Jammuites, since this party came to power at the Centre and subsequently in the State.
Reacting to the repeated statements of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that state-hood to Jammu and Kashmir shall be restored, Sadhotra said under the garb of abrogation of Articles 370 & 35- A, BJP has disempowered the people of Jammu by down grading the status of Jammu & Kashmir state to Union Territory.
He termed it as gross betrayal, unfortunate, sad and unprecedented. He said BJP has created bad chapter of the history by lowering the status of state of Jammu & Kashmir to two UTs. “Voices were raised in Jammu, always complaining of discrimination and more over demanding Jammu as separate state but the BJP instead of respecting the people totally ignored their demands, sentiments and bifurcated & downgraded princely state into two UTs,” former Minister said.
He said frequent statements of BJP leaders hurt the people of Jammu, when it is said statehood will be restored, when normalcy is restored. He asked does statehood put any hindrance to take steps to restore normalcy in the state?
Sadhotra pointed out that during 1996-2002 when militancy was at the peak the National Conference Govt headed by Farooq Abdullah took effective measures to improve the situation. No body stopped Farooq Abdullah to take effective steps for improving situation at that time. What was the necessity to snatch statehood from people of Jammu & Kashmir, is not understandable, Sadhotra asserted.
He alleged that BJP is shedding crocodile’s tears for people of Jammu after down grading their status to Union Territory. It is gross betrayal of the huge mandate given by the people of Jammu in 2014 Assembly elections and then 2019 Parliament elections, Sadhotra added.
It is pertinent to mention here that in India often Union Territories were upgraded to statehood but never vice-versa. Logic of BJP leaders that to improve the situation in Jammu & Kashmir, it has been reduced to Union Territory and shall again be given statehood when situation improves, is not acceptable, the NC leader added.
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