Jammu, Jan 21 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Wednesday rejected any further division of the Union Territory and said the party stands for unity and early restoration of the full statehood to the region.
The Congress also paid tributes to a paratrooper who lost his life in a recent encounter in the higher reaches of the Kishtwar district, and said the BJP-led central government owes an explanation for how terrorists managed to establish a hideout on a mountain peak.
“We reject the divisive slogans of certain forces who are making such noises to dilute the movement for restoration of statehood to J&K,” working president of Pradesh Congress Committee Raman Bhalla told reporters here.
He was apparently referring to the recent remarks of some BJP leaders, demanding the grant of statehood to Jammu after separating it from Kashmir.
“Congress stands for maintaining geographical identity, unity and integrity of all the regions of Jammu and Kashmir along with early restoration of the promised statehood,” Bhalla, who was flanked by several leaders, including chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, said.
Rejecting “divisive slogans and communal policies” to dilute and weaken the movement for the restoration of statehood, he said J&K Congress will continue its efforts to compel the government to fulfil its promises made to the people of the Union Territory time and again.
He said the actions of the BJP legislators and members of Parliament are against the interests of the Jammu region, despite getting a huge mandate from the region.
“The BJP government claimed that the special status under Article 370 was responsible for terrorism but we have witnessed spread of terrorism over the past several years to otherwise peaceful areas of the Jammu region. On Sunday, we lost a paratrooper at a height of 12,000 feet (in Kishtwar). The question is how the terrorists managed to reach there,” Bhalla, a former minister, said.
He said Home Minister Amit Shah owes an explanation on the presence of terrorists in the upper reaches, which shows they have failed to maintain security at the borders and their claims about Article 370 were not based on truth.
Sharma, a former member of the J&K Legislative Council, also lashed out at the BJP for its role in the agitation leading to the withdrawal of letter of permission to Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in the Reasi district.
“The students have got the admission based on NEET results. The students will get admission in other colleges but our region lost a medical college while the future of the employees has been put at stake,” he said, demanding necessary rectifications to re-start the college. PTI TAS TAS MNK MNK
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