JAMMU (Kashmir English): Former Member of Indian Parliament Chaudhry Lal Singh has said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is deliberately delaying the restoration of statehood to occupied Jammu and Kashmir to continue to rule by proxy and loot the natural resources.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Chaudhry Lal Singh made these remarks while addressing a gathering of people and Congress workers at Kastigarh in Doda. He lashed out at the BJP government in New Delhi for the betrayal of the people.
Singh said BJP got mandate from Jammu region on the promise of restoring our Dogra state, immediately after Assembly elections but even after more than 10 months of elections, Modi government is silent on its repeated promises and ignoring the most rightful demand of the people.
Jammu and Kashmir natural resources
Lal Singh further said statehood is the right of people, as the Dogra rulers and warriors made a vast and historical Dogra state after a lot of struggle and several wars but BJP ruthlessly disbanded, divided, downgraded the Dogra state and degraded the status of the people.
“From proud citizens of a historical Dogra identity, we have been reduced to the residents of UT. This is the gift of BJP to people of Jammu and now our resources of land sand forests, mountains and other minerals are being looted for six years now,” he lamented.
Chaudhry Lal Singh said Congress will intensify the struggle for statehood after highly successful ‘Delhi Chalo’ call and protest at Janatar Mantar and expressed gratitude to the party leadership for extending whole-hearted support to the movement and legitimate demand of people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He demanded immediate bringing legislation to restore full statehood to occupied Kashmir or face agitation.
