Jammu: There will be no further compromise on the integrity of Maharaja Gulab Singh’s princely state. Discrimination against Jammu is a major issue, and its permanent solution lies in the political empowerment of Jammu, stated Manish Sahni, head of the Shiv Sena (UBT) Jammu and Kashmir unit.
Under the leadership of party state chief Manish Sahni, Shiv Saniks gathered at the Maharaja Hari Singh statue site, holding placards that read “Will take our rights by fighting, not by dividing” and “Jammu needs political empowerment,” and staged a strong protest.
After paying tribute to Maharaja Hari Singh, Manish Sahni said in his address that Jammu and Kashmir was nurtured by the vision of Maharaja Gulab Singh and the blood of Dogra warriors like General Zorawar Singh. The jewel of Leh-Ladakh has already been separated from Jammu and Kashmir, which is called the crown of the country. Now, power-hungry leaders have started experimenting with dividing Jammu and Kashmir. Attempts are being made to increase mutual distances on regional and political grounds.
The demand for a separate Jammu is being fueled to divert attention from issues like the return of PoK, full statehood, and restoration of special privileges.
Sahni said that the main reason for the discrimination against Jammu is its smaller political stature compared to Kashmir. Our leaders have always remained junior partners of the regional parties of Kashmir. The political empowerment of Jammu has never been demanded.
The geographical area of Jammu is almost double that of Kashmir. The population of the Jammu division has increased significantly in the last few decades. Despite all this, out of 90 assembly seats, the Jammu division has only 43 while Kashmir has 47 seats. Even during the delimitation exercise in 2022, Jammu did not get its rightful share. Sahni demanded that Jammu be declared a permanent capital and the number of assembly seats be increased to 50.
The 50-seat target for Jammu can also be achieved by utilizing the 24 seats reserved for PoK in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Sahni issued an open challenge to the parties and leaders who are advocating for Jammu to be granted “separate” status, stating that the Dogra state will not be further divided, and “Jammu will get its rights without being partitioned.” ” He added that now the leaders will have to follow the will of the people.
Sahni appealed to the public to maintain unity and raise their voices for the empowerment of Jammu. On this occasion, Sanjeev Kohli, Raj Singh, Raju Chaudhary, Aditya Mahajan, Shashipal, Raghubir Singh, Shan Goswami, Vinay Kumar and many others were present.