Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 18: Several prominent persons including intellectuals of the region today pledged their full co-operation to the crusade launched by the National Panthers Party for securing justice to the hitherto deprived Jammu region and offered full support to its initiatives for equitable treatment to all regions of the State and end to all forms of discrimination against Jammu region.
The members of the civil society who included retired bureaucrats and educationalists in a press conference along with Harshdev Singh, chairman NPP and former Minister, vowed to contribute their services for ensuring a fair deal to the people of Jammu Pardesh. They included Prof J P Singh, retired Chairman JKBOSE, Prof M S Billowria, retired secretary JKBOSE, MS Jamwal Retd Chief Engineer, Bharat Bhushan Magotra Deputy Central Intelligence Officer IB, Dr M K Jyoti Retd HoD Bio Sciences, Dr HS Jamwal Retd HoD Chemistry, Prof Sarla Kohli Retd Principal, Prof Vijay Lakshmi Retd Principal GCW, Parade and RS Jamwal Retd Director Geological Survey of India.
The new team of intellectual cell of the Party expressed its displeasure over the virtual surrenders of the BJP over the issues of NIT Srinagar, service tax on helicopter services to Mata Vaishno Devi, NEET, Sainik Colony in Kashmir, dilly dally over AIIMS in Jammu, migrant townships in Kashmir, revocation of AFSPA etc. Lauding the role of NPP in highlighting the concerns of Jammu region, they said that its leaders had proved their mettle both in Assembly and outside.
Making a mention of some of the highlights of BJP’s ‘vision document’ released during Assembly elections, these intellectuals said that BJP had made a categorical statement for grant of State subjects to West Pak refugees with “right to vote in the Assembly and local bodies”, ‘right to immovable property’, ‘right to higher and technical education’ and ‘right to State Govt Jobs’. The BJP compromised on this issue under PDP’s pressure as the CMP merely states that Coalition Govt shall “take measures for sustenance and livelihood of west Pakistan refugees”.
They said that likewise the reservation of 5 seats for PoJK refugees, 3 seats for Kashmir migrants and 33% reservations for women in Legislative Assembly and Council as assured in the vision document also don’t find any mention in the CMP.
Mr Singh said that the beguiled common man in Jammu region feels utterly betrayed at the surrender of the BJP with regard to its core agenda including Article 370 for the sake of power.
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