Jammu: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir are inseparable, firmly rejecting a recent demand by a BJP leader to grant separate statehood to the Jammu region by bifurcating the Union Territory.

The former chief minister’s remarks came even as the BJP’s JK president Sat Sharma sought to distance the party’s stand from the controversial proposal of Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sham Lal Sharma recently.

“Neither Jammu nor Kashmir can be separated from each other. It would be like separating the head from the body — with Jammu as the head and Kashmir as the torso,” Abdullah said during his visit to Narwal Fruit Mandi here.

He claimed even the people of Ladakh want to return to the fold of Jammu and Kashmir.

The special status under Article 370 was revoked to Jammu and Kashmir by the BJP-led central government in 2019 and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories — JK and Ladakh.

BJP MLA demanded separation of Jammu over religious discrimination

Recently, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma stoked a controversy by demanding separation of Jammu over alleged claims of discrimination with the region. However, the party’s state president later distanced from his statement and said this is not the stand of BJP.

Accompanied by senior party leaders, including Jammu provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta and chairman Scheduled Caste Cell Vijay Lochan, Abdullah interacted with office bearers of the Narwal Fruit Mandi Association and listened to their issues, assuring them that their concerns would be addressed.

He said the NC-led government in the UT is working for the betterment of the people and has taken several initiatives over the past year.

“There is no need to worry… all the promises made to the people will be fulfilled,” he said.

Abdullah reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the development of Jammu as a prominent business hub in North India, highlighting the region’s emerging potential.

The key concerns raised by the association included the urgent renewal of lease deeds with shopkeepers, the need for the upgradation of the park adjacent to the Mandi, and the expansion of the Mandi to meet global standards, a party spokesperson said.

Jammu’s agricultural, business sectors critical to economic development

The NC president assured the representatives that he would take up their concerns with the concerned ministers and departments to ensure prompt and effective action.

He reiterated that the Jammu region’s agricultural and business sectors were critical to the economic development of the Union Territory, and the government under the leadership of Omar Abdullah, was committed to facilitating their growth.

“Jammu’s potential as a business hub is immense, and initiatives like these will not only boost local economies but will create job opportunities for the youth,” he said, adding “our government is dedicated to creating an environment where local industries can thrive, and the people of Jammu will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this growth.”

The association emphasised the importance of improving basic civic amenities such as roads, parking facilities, sanitation, and waste management systems. They also called for better infrastructure to support the industry, including reliable electricity for processing and storage facilities.

In addition to the immediate issues, the Association outlined several long-term goals aimed at enhancing the fruit business in Jammu. These included the establishment of post-harvest and quality control units, the introduction of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage units to preserve fruit quality and extend shelf life, and the installation of hi-tech grading lines and portable graders to standardize the produce.

Furthermore, the association called for the development of laboratories for physical, chemical, and microbiological analysis, as well as the establishment of dedicated processing units and a dispensary for the benefit of the Mandi workers, the spokesperson said.

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