Jammu and Kashmir are inseparable: NC chief over BJP leader's demand to bifurcate UT

Jammu, Jan 12 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir are inseparable, firmly rejecting a recent demand by a BJP leader to grant separate statehood to the Jammu region by bifurcating the Union Territory.

The former chief minister's remarks came even as the BJP's JK president Sat Sharma sought to distance the party's stand from the controversial proposal of Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sham Lal Sharma recently.

“Neither Jammu nor Kashmir can be separated from each other. It would be like separating the head from the body — with Jammu as the head and Kashmir as the torso,” Abdullah said during his visit to Narwal Fruit Mandi here.

He claimed even the people of Ladakh want to return to the fold of Jammu and Kashmir.

The special status under Article 370 was revoked to Jammu and Kashmir by the BJP-led central government in 2019 and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- JK and Ladakh.

Recently, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma stoked a controversy by demanding separation of Jammu over alleged claims of discrimination with the region. However, the party's state president later distanced from his statement and said this is not the stand of BJP.

Accompanied by senior party leaders, including Jammu provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta and chairman Scheduled Caste Cell Vijay Lochan, Abdullah interacted with office bearers of the Narwal Fruit Mandi Association and listened to their issues, assuring them that their concerns would be addressed.

He said the NC-led government in the UT is working for the betterment of the people and has taken several initiatives over the past year.

“There is no need to worry… all the promises made to the people will be fulfilled,” he said. PTI TAS NB