The Congress today extended support to protests being carried out by various organisations against the setting up of AIIMS in Kashmir instead of Jammu, as it accused the BJP-PDP government of showing an "indifferent attitude" towards the issue.
Addressing a press conference, PCC senior vice-president Sham Lal Sharma said, "We question BJP for its criminal silence and indifferent attitude towards the issue of AIIMS in Jammu. We want to go shoulder-to-shoulder with the agitating civil society to secure the rightful claim of Jammu people."
Sharma said the party will also be extending support to the 'Jammu Bandh' called on April 24.
Criticising the BJP leadership both at the Centre and in the state, Sharma said the ministers and legislators continued to remain mute spectators to the growing unrest among the people over the betrayal on this issue.
"BJP stands exposed for its double standards and politics of lies," he said.
Flanked by JKPCC vice-president Raman Bhalla and chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, he claimed that the AIIMS project was announced for Jammu on February 28 during the presentation of the Union Budget in the Parliament.
"The MOS in PMO congratulated Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for this announcement in the parliament itself, which was reported by the media as well. The Union Minister had claimed that justice has been done as setting up of AIIMS in Jammu was a long-felt need," Sharma said.
Sharma alleged that BJP-led NDA government had "fooled" the people of Jammu region for the second time as they had made a similar promise in 2003.
"On the eve of General Elections by the then NDA government, Sushma Swaraj, who was then the Union Health Minister, simply laid the foundation stone in the name of AIIMS in Jammu, without any budgetary support," he claimed.
