“While we are fully conscious of the onerous responsibility bestowed on us by the people of Jammu through their mandate and are sincerely working towards fulfilling their trust, the few legislators elected from the Jammu region and belonging to the opposition National Conference and Congress have a single point agenda of criticizing Bharatiya Janata Party for all the ills and woes being faced by the people of Jammu region due to their past scam-laced misrule for decades. They have always been completely bereft of any sense of responsibility towards safe guarding the interests of Jammu”, said Brigadier Anil Gupta, state spokesperson of BJP, in a statement issued to the press. Elaborating further Brig Gupta said that these legislators have forgotten that they were elected by the people of Jammu and always remained silent and unconcerned thereby conveying their tacit approval to discriminatory and anti-Jammu speeches and acts of their Valley based leaders. It appears that they have decided to collaborate with their Valley based colleagues in promoting ‘Radical Kashmir Doctrine’ in order to distance and isolate it from India. Their silence on the issue of Sainik Colonies in the Valley and Establishment of Colonies for Kashmiri Pandits is not only dubious but also unprincipled.
Their intentions became obvious when the bill on Amendments to Transfer of Property Act and Alienation of Land Act was introduced in the state assembly in the just concluded Assembly session. While the MLAs from Bharatiya Janata Party vociferously opposed the Bill because it was not only against the interests of Jammu but also against the women of Jammu designed to deny them their fundamental right of ‘Right to Equality’, the legislators from Jammu belonging to NC, Congress and others vehemently supported their colleagues from Valley in demanding that the Bill be passed immediately. It was due to the efforts of the BJP MLAs that the Bill has been stalled and referred to the Select Committee.
“BJP appeals to all legislators elected from Jammu region irrespective of Party affiliation to make their individual stand clear on this Anti-Jammu Bill. They need to clarify as to whether their loyalty is for the people who elected them or to their valley based bosses. They must follow their conscience and unite to defeat the draconian bill which is against natural justice, retrograde and discriminatory. They must come out openly and stand up for the national cause and reassure their electorate”, asserted Brig Gupta.
