A HIGH-level delegation of state BJP, led by state president Shamsher Singh Manhas and comprising of Leader of Party Legialators Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, national executive member Dr Nirmal Singh, former state president Ashok Khajuria, Deputy Leader Jugal Kishore Sharma and party MLAs Ch. Shyam, Prof Gharu Ram, Ch. Sukhnandan, Durga Dass, Bharat Bhushan and Master Lal Chand called on NN Vohra, the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, at Raj Bhawan on January 27 and submitted a memorandum over the issue of Justice Sagheer Ahmed’s report. The BJP leaders expressed their resentment over the report and out-rightly rejecting it, urged the Governor to convey their resentment the same to the union government. Since he is the centre’s representatives, it becomes all their more important on his part to convey the resentment over the report to the union government and recommend its immediate rejection failing which the public outrage against the report may spread all across the state and the country, said the delegation.
The BJP said, the report of Working Group on “Strengthening Centre-State Relations”, headed by Justice (Retired) Sagheer Ahmed is biased and unbalanced as it has completely ignored the view point of all those forces, people, institutions, political parties and social activists who are votaries of complete and full integration of the state with the rest of the country.
It further said, Justice Sagheer Ahmed’s report is technically and legally unjustifiable as it has been finalised without going through the mandatory procedure of consulting and seeking consent of other members aimed to evolve a consensus among them. The Working Group Chairman Justice Sagheer Ahmed failed to hold the required meetings of the group during last two years and instead rushed through the process of hurriedly submitting the report which renders it unworthy of any consideration. The report is without the regard or consideration for the views of other members constituting the Working Group, including that of BJP representative Arun Jaitley. They were not consulted and the report before submission was not circulated among them for their views and approval.
The Autonomy or self-rule can have no place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir given its total and complete dependence upon the Government of India for finance and other resources. The BJP being a responsible national party and representative of a huge segment of population of the state stresses that autonomy will only worsen the condition of the common man and would be of no help in the improvement of his quality of life. The BJP totally and completely rejects all such proposals/moves that weaken or tend to weaken the bonds of the J&K state with the rest of the country and under no circumstances would allow weakening or dilution of sovereignty of India over state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is the existence of Article 370 in the Constitution of India that has always fostered a divisive and separate identity syndrome in a segment of the population of a particular region of the state of J&K. This was the reason that the Article was initially supposed to be temporary in nature. The only permanent solution for normalisation of the conditions in the state lies in immediate and unambiguous abrogation of the said Article,” the memorandum said.
It further said: “Terrorism lack of rule of law and prevalence of financial unaccountability are the consequences of this unwise special status of state in the Indian Union. Sooner this special status goes better it would be for the state, its entire population and the country.
In our view, the report is nothing but yet another attempt to appease the secessionist and separatist elements while ignoring the nationalists across the state. Hence, the BJP rejects it outrightly. The Bharatiya Janata Party not only outrightly rejects the recommendations of Sagheer Ahmed report but also warns the Government of India of the divisive designs that have motivated the making of this report.”
Stating that the BJP stands for redressal of genuine outstanding issues like delimitation of assembly constituencies, safe and honourable return of Kashmiri Pundit displaced from the valley, redressal of the problems of refugees from West Pakistan, PoK refugees of 1947,1965, 1971 and equitable regional distribution of funds and resources to end discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh regions.
The BJP delegation urged the Governor: “As you are the Centre’s representative, it becomes all the more important on your part to convey the resentment over the report to the union government and recommend its immediate rejection failing which the public outrage against the report may spread all across the state and the country.”
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