Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: Senior vice president of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee and former Minister Sham Lal Sharma today suggested to hold ‘all party meeting’ to discuss threadbare on the issue of granting regional autonomy to all the three regions.
He further said that all major political parties in the State are on the same page so far as grant of regional autonomy is concerned so there will not be any confrontation on the said issue.
In a press statement here today, the PCC leader said that grant of regional autonomy had already been incorporated by Congress party in it’s election manifesto of 2008 and 2014 Assembly elections and moreover, it has also supported delimitation.
Sharma said that regional autonomy should be granted with complete political, administrative and financial powers. He said that Jammu region has always faced discrimination irrespective of the political parties ruled the State.
Asking ruling BJP to clear its stand on granting regional autonomy to all the three regions of the State, Sharma said that as till date Saffron party has cleared its stand on this issue as they don’t have any mechanism to end discrimination being faced by the people of Jammu particularly during present BJP- PDP Government.
The former minister further reminded that in the past it was BJP who vehemently opposed to regional autonomy and not the Congress party.
“During 2002, the BJP and it’s sister organisations formed Jammu State Morcha with aim to have separate Jammu State and subsequently they abandoned for the reason best known to the BJP. “Since 2002 till date BJP hasn’t explicit its stand on regional autonomy because they have no concept of the same.”
He pointed out that BJP has never demanded regional autonomy to all three regions nor it is included in their party manifesto for the years 2008 and 2014 Assembly elections. Sham also said that granting regional autonomy would help in empowering all regions and of the State.
It has been often seen that as and when there is disturbance in Kashmir valley, there has always been its impact on Jammu and Ladakh regions. The economy of these regions gets shattered. The inflow of tourists gets worst affected. The regional councils can only address the grievances of the people of the region, Sharma added.
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