Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Nov, 01
JKNPP activists led its President Sh. Balwant Singh Mankotia held a strong protest demanding Full Statehood for Jammu Province and against the downgrading of the existing J&K State into Two Union Territories. All JKNPP activists with Sh. Mankotia assembled at the Statue of Maharaja Hari Singh & criticised the Union Govt for downgrading the erstwhile J&K State into Two UT and demanded that Jammu province be granted a Full-Fledged State. He said that after waiting for 72 years to get out of the Kashmir hegemony Jammu Province people have once again been betrayed by the BJP Govt by not giving a Full Statehood to Jammu Province. They all took a vow & solemn pledge to carry on their struggle for the Full Statehood of Jammu Province & not rest till the same is granted.
Sh. Mankotia criticised the BJP for its strong-arm actions of trying to muzzle the opposition by putting them under house arrest & cautioned that the JKNPP is the only political party in the state which has the capability & will to fight against these undemocratic tactics. He stated that since 05Aug19; in the past three months all the recruitment in Police & other Govt departments has only been carried on in Kashmir Valley & nothing has been done for Jammu Province. Similarly, all GOI projects announced have also only for Kashmir Valley. There is no mention of Jammu Province in any of these developments. Even the Members of European Parliament were taken to Kashmir only & therefore it seems that Jammu Province does not exist for the Central Govt & its agencies. There is such a bias against the word “Jammu” that even the media never says Jammu & Kashmir but limits it to only “Kashmir” showing their total ignorance of Jammu region.
In their resolve to carry on this struggle for a Full Statehood for Jammu Province & against the Downgrading our J&K State into Two Union Territories Sh. Mankotia & Sh. Anil Rakwal tonsured their heads. He along with all the assembled activists also took a solemn pledge that they will neither rest nor relax till such time they are able to educate each & every household to seek a separate Statehood for Jammu.
Capt. Anil Gour, Gagan Partap Singh, Shanker Singh Chib & Dhani Ram Attri State Secretaries, Choudhary Surinder Chouhan, District President, Sh. Jagdev Singh Jagga, Councillors Jagdish Kumar & Darshan Kumar & others also spoke on the occasion.
