Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 7: National Panthers Party chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh today said NPP will intensify struggle for Jammu statehood as people from Jammu region have been cheated by BJP leadership on the name of UT. Talking to media-persons today Harsh Dev said the Parliament approved a resolution revoking some provisions of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and a bill for splitting the state into two Union Territories. “The Union Government has got to take the people of Jammu on board and address their aspirations as well. Rather than clubbing Jammu with Kashmir, the Government must immediately announce statehood for Jammu region in conformity with the slogans of its leaders and its affiliate organisations, including the RSS,” Singh said.
He said the announcement of clubbing Jammu and Kashmir regions as a Union territory came as a “bolt from the blue”. “The decision of the Central Government is full of shock and offence for the nationalist people of Jammu who are feeling betrayed and down graded,” the NPP leader said.
Click here to watch video
“The lowering of status of a 200-year-old state to a UT is irking the minds of the people, especially of Jammu, who felt disgraced and dishonoured.” Reacting to Union Home Minister, Amit Shah’s statement that the Modi Government would have no hesitation in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir when normalcy returns, the NPP leader wondered why Jammu was brought within its ambit. “Why should Jammu region be deprived of its right to have a <Government of its own? Why should it be also brought under Central rule along with Kashmir?” he asked.
Singh said Jammu cannot be allowed to be disgraced merely for the political expediencies of the BJP at the Centre. He describing the Union Government’s decision as “repulsively bizarre and an insult to Dogra land. Seeking early review of the decision, Singh said, “We can no longer play a second fiddle to the Kashmir leadership who would still continue to hold majority in the Assembly of the proposed UT by virtue of higher number of seats earmarked for the Valley.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel