Lauding Satya Pal Malik for according divisional status to Ladakh, Bharatiya Janata Party Wednesday said the Governor was taking forward the saffron party’s agenda of development in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Governor Sahib is doing a commendable job by taking forward our party’s agenda of development in the state,” Avinash Rai Khanna, national vice-president of BJP and in-charge J&K, told reporters here.
Khanna said, “National Conference, Congress and Peoples Democratic Party are used to blabber” and the parties had nothing to say now.
“They criticise and issue statements against the governor because he is leading developmental agenda in Kashmir,” he said, adding the saffron party was fully at Malik’s back.
Thanking the governor Malik for according divisional status to Ladakh, Khanna said his administration was looking into demands of people of Kargil district for which a committee has been formed.
“The committee will talk to all stakeholders and submit a report to the government,” Khanna said.
On February 8, the administration took a major decision by creating a separate revenue and administrative division for Ladakh region of the state with its headquarters in Leh.
Cutting across party lines, prominent politicians from Kargil affiliated with NC, PDP and Congress came together and threatened a mass agitation if divisional headquarters was permanently stationed at Leh.
On Sunday, thousands of people staged a protest rally in Kargil and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner to press their demand for moving the divisional headquarters between Leh and Kargil on rotational basis.
The PDP and NC are advocating for similar status to Pir Panjal and Chenab valley regions.
Governor Malik had replied in negative when asked whether his administration plans to grant such status to any other region of the state.
“It (divisional status) was imperative for both the districts of Leh and Kargil…let those talking about it come to power and do so,” Malik said in response to the demands.
Khanna said divisional status to Ldakah was a demand that existed since the country’s independence.
The senior BJP leader also lauded the people in Jammu who beat up and manhandled Kashmiri passengers stranded in that city since the closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway.
“Neither they, nor we will allow anybody to chant anti-national slogans,” Khanna said, questioning why anti-national slogans were raised when arrangements were being made for the stranded passengers.
“It won’t be allowed and these people must be dealt with sternly.”
Earlier, Khanna launched “Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat Modi Ke Sath” here. Addressing a gathering he said the exercise was aimed at democratising the process of preparing the party manifesto.