JK Congress bats for separate regional councils in the state

Batting strongly for regional councils in three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress today accused the BJP of deceiving the people of Jammu and said it had surrendered before the PDP the due share of employment and development of the region.
"The BJP has compromised on its core constituency of Jammu, which gave it 25 seats in the assembly. It has completely surrendered before the PDP by selling Jammu's due share of employment and development. The BJP has deceived Jammu people," senior vice president of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former minister Sham Lal Sharma told reporters here.

Sharma released an 11-point charge-sheet against the government and the BJP, and asked the saffron party to clarify its stand on alleged discrimination with Jammu region on various fronts by the BJP-PDP government.
"The BJP got huge mandate from Jammu and is now playing hide and seek when it comes to the rights of the youth of the region," he said.
Sharma said the government appointed just a few hundred Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu region whereas thousands of SPOs were appointed in the Kashmir valley.
He sought the BJP's reply on alleged discrimination in appointments of assistant professors and teachers in the two regions.

Sharma lashed at the BJP and the government for their stand in the Supreme Court against the grant of minority commission in JK for the minority Hindus and said the BJP was playing with the sentiments of the minorities in the state.

"How is it that the BJP-PDP does not consider the minority Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhist as minorities in the state," he asked.
Kashmir was getting the lion's share of all funds in every sector, but the BJP was silent, Sharma said.
"To end this discrimination with the Jammu region, we demand the creation of regional council for all the three regions of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu with separate financial and decision making powers," Sharma said.