Jammu, July 9: Criticizing the ongoing political, economic and social onslaught on Jammu and Kashmir, President Peoples Democratic Party and former Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti Friday said that attempts were now being made to create wedge between the two regions for vested interests.
“Kashmir and Jammu regions have always been economically and socially dependent on each other. The cultural and social diversity of this erstwhile state has been its strength and all attempts in the past to shutter this bound have failed”, she said adding that the social and non-political organizations have to come forward in order to stop the forces who are at play to divide people on cultural, linguistic and religious lines”.
Mufti arrived in Jammu on three day tour, during which she will meet party district units besides social organizations from across the region to access the present situation. She received warm reception on her arrival at the party headquarters.
Vice President Choudhary Abdul Hameed, General Secretary Amreek Singh Reen, Additional General Secretary Abdul Rasheed Malik, State Secretaries Rajinder Manhas, Ashok Jogi, Satpaul Singh Charak, Provincial President Women Wing Surjit Kour, Dr Ramesh Salathia, Choudhary Chuni, E Peter, Sunil Bhat, Rajat Gupta, Sachin Bhagat, Neeraj Chandel, Swran Singh, Majid Shah, Nadeem Khan, Zulfikar Malik were among those present.
Various deputations called on her at the party office to apprise former chief minister about the problems being faced by different sections of the society.
Interacting with the deputations the former chief minister said that Jammu faced the worst brunt due to abrogation of special status on August 5, 2019 and now the very identity of this region was at the stake. “Jammu is the receiving end of all the measures taken by the present dispensation post abrogation of Article 370. Most of the orders issued in last two years have crippled the economy of this city, once known as the economic capital of Jammu and Kashmir”, she said.
She said that her party has always put interests of this region ahead of the organizational politics and it was due to this reason that respecting mandate of Jammu, PDP took most unpopular decision of entering into an alliance with BJP after 2014 elections. “However, the region was betrayed by the very people, who were elected to power by Jammu. Even today those people and organizations, who claim to represent Jammu, are compromising with every relevant issue of the region to please their masters in New Delhi”.
A deputation of J&K Transporters Association apprised the former chief minister about the problems being faced by the people in trade. “The entire sector is at the brink of collapse due to the policies being implemented by the present dispensation”, the deputationists informed, adding increase in toll tax, registration fee, insurance beside steep hike in petrol/diesel prices is forcing the transporters to windup their businesses.
A separate delegation of Wine Traders Association also called on her and requested her intervention to safeguard the interests of hundreds of families who have been left at the mercy of God in view of the new policy. “People in the trade were being victimized in order to give benefit to the people who are politically associated with particular political organization”, they claimed adding, “Resources of Jammu and Kashmir were being sold to the non-locals in the name of increased revenue”.
A deputation of Differently Abeld persons apprised her about the delay in release of pension besides reluctance of the administration to sanction new cases. They also demanded an increase in the quota of reservation in various government services.
Various delegations of the party units, including Youth wing, led by Varinder Singh Sonu, Women Wing led by Mrs Surjeet Kour, Jammu Urban led by Rajinder Manhas, Samba district unit led by Harmaish Singh Salathia and ST unit deputation led by Shafi Chachi also called on her. kns