Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 31: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomes any decision taken in the national interest and hence supports the State’s reorganisation which has become effective from today stated Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, spokesperson of the Party.
In a statement issued here, today he said those who are pleading for retention of statehood are only playing with the people’s emotions and indulging in dual talk since their leadership in Kashmir sings a different tune.
Both the State and the UT are recognised systems of governance as per the Indian Constitution and hence to belittle the status of UT amounts to disrespect of the Constitution, rued Brig Gupta. “Are the citizens of other Union Territories (UT) in the country second-rate citizens that the mere thought of being known as residents of UT is depressing to the leadership of NC”? “In what way the “great role played by Jammu for retaining pristine glory of the State during most testing times especially in early nineties, will be diminished by becoming a UT” questioned the spokesperson?
He said history of the State will remain the same and will not change, hence NC leadership is advised to not play with people’s emotions through a misinformation campaign.
The state built by the Dogras lost its entity on that fateful day of January 1, 1949, when Sheikh Abdullah convinced Prime Minister, Nehru to declare unilateral ceasefire thus allowing Pakistan to remain in illegal occupation of more than 1/3rd of the State. It lost its Dogra identity when the last Dogra ruler was unceremoniously exiled from the State and stripped of all his privileges while his counterparts in the rest of the country continued to enjoy the privy purses till as late as 1971, Stated Brig Gupta. It was NC that converted the ‘Riyasat’ (State) into a ‘Sultanat’ (fiefdom) and it is the loss of the Sultanat that is hurting them now, clarified Gupta.
NC should realise that unlike Greater Autonomy that was a sheer political gimmick, reorganisation of the State done now has been undertaken in national interest to make Jammu Kashmir terror free. In any case, both the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India have assured the people of the State on the floor of nation’s Parliament that statehood would be restored as soon as the situation turns normal. In the last 60 years enough bloodshed and treachery has been done under the garb of Article 370 by promoting separatism, terrorism and corruption.
“I now make a counter appeal to all political parties irrespective of their ideology to come forward and co-operate with the new government of J&K under its first LG to help restore normalcy at the earliest,” said Brig Gupta. Let them prove their sincerity and commitment in eliminating terror by accepting the role of Pakistan in promoting terror in the State and condemning terror outfits like JKLF, HM, LeT and JEM as well as the OGWs, said Brig Gupta. Once the scourge of terror is eliminated, the UT would be reverted back to Statehood assures BJP.
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