Tackling terror our priority: Raina

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 9

A year after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, the demand for restoring statehood seems to have gathered momentum among many political parties barring the BJP.

Although some BJP leaders have endorsed this demand, J&K party president Ravinder Raina has repeatedly opposed restoring statehood at this “point of time”.

“There is no need to restore statehood. Excellent work is going on under the UT,” Ravinder Raina, J&K BJP president said recently when asked about the Opposition demand of restoring statehood. He reiterated that the priority was to deal with the anti-national elements active in the Valley.

Meanwhile, on the first anniversary of the abrogation, activists of the J&K unit of the BSP had come on the streets demanding statehood. The BSP had vociferously supported the abrogation of Article 370, but now there was a feeling among party leaders that the BJP had “betrayed” all sections of society, especially weaker sections.

Echoing the demand of restoring statehood to J&K, BSP leaders alleged that weaker sections were the worst victims of the “autocratic style of working” of bureaucracy in the UT. “Statehood is a must to restore the shattered confidence of the people,” president of the J&K unit of the BSP Somraj Majotra said.

Jammu-centric political groups, like the Panthers Party, have already intensified the campaign for statehood. The National Conference, PDP, Congress, CPM and newly formed J&K Apni Party have also raised the demand of restoring statehood to J&K.

The Congress has regretted that promises made to people of J&K on August 5, 2019, remained only on paper.