Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 26: Senior National Conference leader and former Minister, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, today launched a scathing attack on the BJP for reneging on its solemn commitment of restoring Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as a tale of broken promises and a deliberate assault on the democratic spirit of the country.
In a statement, Sadhotra recalled that the BJP-led Government had given categorical assurances both in the Parliament and before the Supreme Court that Statehood would be restored after the completion of the delimitation exercise and the conduct of elections.
“Delimitation has been completed, and elections are over but the BJP has now conveniently backtracked on its promise. This betrayal is not just of the people of Jammu and Kashmir but of the very principles of democracy,” he said.
Sadhotra said that denying statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, despite repeated commitments, amounts to trampling upon the democratic rights of millions of citizens. India, which proudly calls itself the world’s largest democracy, cannot afford to treat a region and its people as second-class citizens. Denial of Statehood undermines the very idea of India and dents the credibility of the constitutional guarantees given to its people, he added.
NC leader emphasized that statehood is not a privilege but a fundamental democratic right that cannot be withheld at the whims of a ruling dispensation. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of their identity and decision-making powers for far too long. The BJP’s doublespeak on the issue has exposed its hypocrisy, eroded public faith, and deepened the sense of alienation, he added.
Sadhotra questioned how a party that claims to uphold democratic values could so casually disregard its own assurances given at the highest forums of the nation.
He asked BJP MLAs from the Jammu region why they were failing to rally behind the legitimate demand of the people and press their central leadership to fulfill the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir. He cautioned the BJP against pursuing policies that push Jammu and Kashmir into perpetual uncertainty.
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