Srinagar, Jan 14 (JKNS): J&K Peoples Conference President & MLA Handwara Sajad Lone on Wednesday issued a sharp statement calling upon Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to honor his electoral commitment of establishing a Law University in Budgam, while simultaneously questioning what he termed Jammu’s “obsessive” opposition to developmental initiatives in Kashmir.
Speaking on the Law University promise made during the recently concluded Budgam Assembly bye-elections, Lone emphasized the need for institutional integrity.
“The sanctity of the institution of CM demands that he live up to his promise and keep it there,” he stated, referring to the proposed university’s location in Budgam, he said.
PC President spoke with unflinching candour while addressing the resistance from Jammu to Kashmir-centric projects. “And this Jammu thing. I hope Jammu prospers. But this obsession of having everything and anything that Kashmir wants is more of an issue of lunacy. They have an IIM. What is wrong if a Law University comes to Kashmir,” he questioned.
He further suggested that the time has arrived for reconsidering the administrative arrangement between the two regions.
“Maybe time has come for an amicable divorce. It is not only about developmental matters. Jammu has become the proverbial stick to beat the Kashmiri with,” Lone declared.
The PC president accused Jammu-based voices of selective courage, alleging they remained silent when the Union government “took away everything from them, diverted business, even took away Darbar move,” but demonstrate valor “only against their own Kashmir region.”
He argued that Kashmir’s integration with the rest of India cannot be facilitated through what he called intermediaries who continuously malign the region.
“If Kashmir is to integrate with the rest of the country, it will have to be done without the thrusted service of touts. We cannot have a region slandering Kashmiris non-stop and petitioning the rest of the country that only one region in J&K is with the country and that the other region is a terrorist region,” he asserted.
Concluding his statement, Lone suggested that Kashmiri sentiment has shifted significantly on regional relations.
“I think the people of Kashmir too can’t take it anymore. Talk of reservations and the Kashmiris are crowded out. I am sure the desire for divorce is much much higher in Kashmir than it ever was. Need leadership to call a spade a spade,” he remarked. (JKNS)
