BJP State Spokesperson Prof. Virender Gupta while responding to the statement of Congress leaders, Sham Lal Sharma and Manjit Singh asking BJP to clear its stand on formation of Regional Councils for all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir state, asked the Congress party to come out with the blue print about structure and powers of Regional Council, other getting this duly approved by the working Committee of its state unit and endorsed by it Centre leadership. He said that so far BJP is concerned it always remained in favour of a system where people of Jammu region are master of their own destiny and can lead a honourable and dignified life with no discrimination of any kind, whether it is political, administrative or financial. He added that BJP since the days of Praja Parishad movement of 1953, has been struggling for attaining such type of a system. However, it is Congress party both at the Centre or in the state, which in order to placate the Kashmiri leadership and the Kashmiri people, remained instrument in humiliating the people of Jammu region, subjecting them to the worst kind of discrimination and that of miserable plight and creating hapless situation for them. No doubt, the Regional Councils figured in State Congress manifestos issued in the last two assembly elections but it never raised the issue when it was in power, Prof. Virender said. He further added though after facing a crushing defeat in the last assembly election the demand of region councils is being raised for its survival, but even then it is welcomed as it is never too tale to mend.
