Vikramaditya Singh resigns from PDP, says govt policies ‘anti-Jammu’

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 22

Vikramaditya Singh—grandson of last Dogra ruler of J&K Maharaja Hari Singh—on Sunday resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) blaming the government of “anti-Jammu policies”.

He resigned as an MLC in the J-K Legislative Council as well.  

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Vikramaditya Singh accused Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of propagating anti-Jammu policies and alleged that she is not following the footsteps of her father late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in uniting all the three regions of the state.

“I was feeling suffocated in the party due to discriminatory and anti-Jammu policies being propagated by the government,” he said.

“It is not morally and ethically correct for me to remain in the PDP,” he added.

Formally announcing his decision in a press conference after posting the same on social media, he alleged, “Whenever I raised any issue pertaining to Jammu region, I faced criticism from the government instead of support and they snubbed me every time.”

“On many occasions I raised issues like Dogra certificate, illegal settlement of Rohingyas in Jammu, ignoring history of Dogras in education department, discrimination in PSCs but my party never supported me” he said.

Vikramaditya Singh, the elder son of former Sadar-e-Riyasat and Congress stalwart Dr Karan Singh, who had joined PDP on April 9, 2014, said he had joined PDP due to its secular credentials and leadership qualities of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

“I looked upon myself as the PDP face for all communities in the Jammu region and worked to strengthen the party, always keeping in mind the secular fabric of our region,” added Singh.

“Besides PDP leader, I also resigned from the Legislative Council where I was nominated by the Governor and I shall be writing to the Chairman requesting him to accept my resignation,” Singh said.