Excelsior Correspondent
BILLAWAR, Aug 9: Former minister and senior Congress leader Dr Manohar Lal Sharma today lambasted BJP leadership for again playing with the sentiments of Jammuites by degrading Jammu & Kashmir from a State to the Union Territory.
In a press statement today Dr Sharma said that Article 370 has not been abrogated in fact section 1 is still applicable and only reformation of State has taken place and BJP is still playing with sentiment of Jammunities. He further said that if Central Government is right in its decision then why many main political leaders of the State has been put under house arrest.
He lambasted the Centre for failing to have discussion on the issue with opposition and implementing it forcefully thus killing the democratic values. He said since long, the BJP leadership has been promising people to end discrimination with Jammu and providing full statehood to Jammu and on this pretext, got majority mandate from Jammu division but the nationalist people of Jammu and the Dogras who have sacrificed their lives from time to time for safeguarding the country and the State have been neglected and the State that Maharaja Gulab Singh and General Zorawar Singh extended from Lakhanpur to Gilgitt Baltistan has been dismembered and Dogras have lost their identity by merely making the State of Jammu Kashmir to a Union Territory.
The DCC leader said this is for the first time that a state has been converted to UT where as in general cases UT is converted into a State. He further questioned local BJP leadership that how Centre took such a big step without taking them in consideration and said one side they pretend to be the custodians of people of Jammu for safeguarding their rights on the other hand they give their consent for making J&K as an UT.
Manohar said in the wake of absence of any domicile provisions the people of Jammu will be the worst sufferers. The first onslaught from outside will be on the jobs and livelihood of Jammu because the situation in the Valley will not be conducive for people from outside to settle there. He urged upon the Government to restore the glory of Dogras by giving statehood to Jammu and Kashmir with safe guards such as domicile rights in terms of land purchase and securing jobs for people of Jammu.
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