JAMMU, Nov 28: “Politicians who are trying to exploit the sentiments of common people by stating that the Union Government demoted erstwhile J&K state by converting it into Union Territory (UT) are the same lot who, while taking advantage of the absence of important central laws, looted the state exchequer and unleashed corruption and nepotism here”. 

This was stated by BJP J&K Executive Member Raman Suri, who added that converting J&K into a Union Territory was the right decision taken at a right time, that not only allowed all central laws to be extended here but also gave the people of Ladakh their desired UT which no previous government ever cared for. In addition, several central laws extended to J&K empowered many agencies to nail the corrupt, uproot anti-national elements and keep a check on terror funding. 

Raman Suri said that in addition, it has been repeatedly said that J&K will get statehood at a very appropriate time, which will be none other than the time when complete peace will dawn here, corruption and corrupt will be nailed, administration will be weeded out of militant sympathizers, an order be brought into governance, dead wood will be shunted out, all institutions will be streamlined, dead lying departments will be winded up and most importantly, black sheep will be identified and made to face law of the land. 

He said, those making hue and cry about statehood are the ones who encouraged corruption, seemed to be sympathisers of militants and never wanted J&K to progress like other states and UTs. Today development works worth crores of rupees are taking place in J&K without pilferage of money, investors are rushing towards J&K, youth is finding a fair way of recruitment and bad people are on the run.

Despite all this, if still these politicians are trying to undermine the credentials of Union Government or exploit sentiments of people by issuing their vague statements without any facts, it establishes that they are scared of their misdeeds done in the past and don’t want the Union Territory of J&K to be cleared off all muck and filth rooted by them during their tenures as ministers and chief ministers. 

Some of the former ministers and chief ministers are continuously issuing statements criticising UT status of J&K, which means they never wanted Ladakh to get what it had always been dreaming of and asking for. Their statements also establish that they don’t want corruption, militancy or nepotism to be out of this place. Had they been saviours or well-wishers of the people of J&K, they would have cared to atleast appreciate weeding out of the corrupt and nailing of militants in the UT before asking for statehood at this stage.