Accusing the J&K government of doing "injustice" to the people of Jammu province, BJP today alleged the Congress-NC alliance rejected the demand for creation of five more districts in the region.
"Cong-NC coalition has perpetrated injustice on Jammu by rejecting demand of setting up of five districts in the region," state BJP President Jugal Kishore Sharma told reporters here today.
"Congress more than NC or PDP has been causing harm to the people of Jammu province in its desperate bid to appease the Kashmiri ruling elite and remain on its right side," he said.
"Congress in particular would have to pay a very heavy price of unpopularity by not making its alliance partner to accept the suggestion of Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) regarding creation of five more districts in Jammu province", he said.
"The CSC had made the suggestion that five new districts be created in Jammu province, including one district for Nowshera, Sunderbani and Kalakot in Rajouri district, one district for Billawar, Basohli and Bani in Kathua district, one district for Akhnoor and one district for Bishnah, R S Pura and Suchetgarh in Jammu district and one district for Mahore and Gool in Reasi district," he claimed.
The CSC had also recommended two new districts in Kashmir, one each in Baramulla and Kupwara districts and on additional district in Ladakh by bifurcating Leh and Kargil districts, he claimed.
It is disturbing that the NC-Congress Cabinet rejected this suggestion much against the wishes of the people of Jammu province, who had been fighting for more districts since the early 1970s, he added.
"A BJP delegation during its meeting with CSC in Jammu had put forth the demand for the creation of five new districts in the province on the ground that the land area of Jammu province was almost two times that of Kashmir and its population equal, if not more, but the coalition government turned down its demand," he said.
He said the BJP had decided to make the "anti-Jammu" province attitude of Congress and NC a major issue during the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
The state BJP president asked Congress-NC coalition to create the suggested eight districts, five in Jammu, two in Kashmir and one in Ladakh, failing which his party would launch an agitation.
