Manohar Lal pitches for statehood to Jammu division

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 17: Former minister and senior Congress leader Dr Manohar Lal Sharma today pitched for statehood to Jammu region in order to remove regional discrimination.
While conducting one day tour of different villages of Chinji- Makwal, Rajwalta, Gurha, Dewal and Dyalachak of Billawar constituency, Dr Sharma lambasted local BJP leadership for cheating the nationalist people of Jammu.
He questioned why BJP leadership of Jammu is keeping mum on J&K being converted to UT from a State and alleged that they played hand in gloves with Center to convert J&K into UT. They were trying to hide their failures as well.
Dr Sharma further said that even during BJP-PDP Government many decisions taken were anti-youth, anti-Jammu but none of the 25 MLAs from BJP raised their voices against discrimination against the area. He said it feels pain to see that J&K has been degraded to a UT from a state. This is for the first time that a state has been converted to UT whereas in general cases, UT is converted to a State.
He further questioned local BJP leadership that how Centre took such a big step without taking them into consideration and said one side they pretend to be guardians of safeguarding rights of Jammu people and on the other hand they give their consent for making J&K as UT.
DCC Kathua chief also questioned the basis for detention of main stream political leaders of the State and termed it as unconstitutional and open murder of democracy where people are forcibly deprived of their democratic right of freedom of speech and expression.
During the meeting people of the area apprised Dr Sharma that there is no power in their area from past some days as the local transformer has burnt. People also complained of traffic disruption on Dayalachak–Billawar road due to washing away of road/ culverts in some parts due to flash floods in recent past. He also urged the Governor administration to restore the Dyalachak- Billawar road and also start upgradation work on this road.