Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: In a significant statement, former Legislative Assembly Speaker and veteran National Conference leader Mohammad Akbar Lone, the third time MLA from Sonawari in Bandipora district of Kashmir today lashed out at some National Conference leaders, whom he charged with having short-sighted approach and compromising the party’s interests by raising and supporting the demand for separate AIIMS for Jammu region.
In a hard hitting written statement issued today, Lone, who was also Minister in previous NC-Congress Government, while commenting on the demand for separate AIIMS for Jammu, said: “what has shocked me more is that some leaders of the National Conference have lately been promoting this perverse mindset. They have joined the campaign for a separate AIIMS in Jammu.
“There is no doubt that all regions, in fact all districts and sub districts of the State should grow equally. But this by no means justified the demand that everything that comes to the State should come in pairs. It is sheer parochialism, which undermines the State’s unity and integrity’’.
Akbar Lone went on to say that the National Conference is committed to unity of the State and harmony among its different regions.
“Unfortunately, some short-sighted NC leaders have been compromising the party’s stand in this behalf. Our party did not protest when the Centre sanctioned an IIT for Jammu. Whether the party should join the controversy over AIIMS should have been discussed in the Working Committee but that has not been done. The party high command needs to take immediate notice of this issue and sort out the mess before it’s late,’’ Lone said.
He added that he was pained to see that regional and communal passions are being aroused in the State ever since the Central Government sanctioned an AIIMS for the State. “The proposed AIIMS is being setup in the valley of Kashmir. Some political groups have been trying to raise a controversy around it, their argument being that the Centre should sanction a similar institute for Jammu.
“These groups have been promoting an unhealthy competition between two regions of the State in the name of equitable development. They have been pursuing this policy for decades. This has caused deep psychological split so much so that Kashmir and Jammu have virtually become two States within one geographical unit. These groups were up in arms when the Government of India sanctioned a Central University in Srinagar,’’ the veteran NC leader said.
Lone said what has shocked him more is that some leaders of the National Conference have lately been promoting this perverse mindset by joining the campaign for a separate AIIMS in Jammu.
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