“With new government Business Rules seeking to transfer majority of the powers of executive and legislature in J&K to Lt. Governor and central government, the democratic values in new UT have received a stunning blow. The elected representatives would have very little role in the new set up in the functioning of the elected government as and when formed and hence may not be able to deliver effectively in the absence of requisite powers. The ultimate loss is that of the public as the disempowerment of their elected representatives would ultimately be the dis empowerment of the electorates”. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman-JKNPP & former Minister. Lambasting the BJP government at the centre for its authoritarian and dictatorial policies, Mr. Harsh said that robbing the only Dogra State in the country of its State status coupled with withdrawal of powers of elected representatives would operate most harshly against Jammu people who have always stood by the Nation. “What are we being punished for? Why are we deprived of those the rights which are available to our counterparts in other States of the country? Is it a price that the people of Jammu are being made to pay for having given an overwhelming mandate to BJP? Why are Jammu people made to suffer for the ‘sins’ committed by others? Why should Jammu be punished for the ‘faults’ and alleged misdoings of Kashmir based rulers? Why should Jammu region be deprived of its statehood status and of its true empowerment in accordance with the principles of democracy and Constitution”, said Singh.
“Clubbing Jammu with Kashmir and divesting it of statehood is more of punishment for Dogra land than for Valley. For how long shall the people of Jammu continue to suffer, to bleed, to sacrifice and to surrender. It’s unfortunate however that as and when the demand for Jammu statehood grows, the self appointed arbiters of patriotic ardour besides few agents of Kashmir and New Delhi start with their negative misleading campaign. They create apprehensions in the minds of the people about Kashmir going the Pakistan way. They indulge in boisterous revel talking of Kashmir getting usurped by Pakistan deliriously oblivious of the fact that no power on earth can penetrate our sovereignty over our territory. The mighty India and our most decorated armed forces are capable enough of defending our territories and our frontiers which they have been able and successfully doing for the past over 70 years. So better keep such sadists at bay. And no justification for suppressing an already suffering and subjugated Jammu region should be ever acceptable” observed the NPP Chairman. Mr. Singh said that BJP should have no inhibitions in granting statehood to Jammu region as its only concern is to ‘teach a lesson’ to the anti-national forces and separatist parties and organizations of Kashmir alone.