No discrimination with Jammu over Law University: Omar
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 12: The BJP MP and MLAs had heated exchanges with Minister for Youth Services and Sports and Transport Satish Sharma twice in development review meeting of the Jammu district held in the office of the Deputy Commissioner and chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today.
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While Omar defended the decision for opening of proposed National Law University in Kashmir, questioning why similar concerns were not raised (by the BJP MLAs) when premier institutes like IIT and IIM were established in Jammu, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma said the CM has developed habit of considering Jammu and Kashmir across Banihal and should change his mindset.
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Insiders told the Excelsior that when the BJP MLAs raised some issues, Satish Sharma, the Cabinet Minister and Independent MLA from Chhamb reportedly attributed some of the problems to delay in grant of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir saying the BJP leaders have no guts to speak before the high command though they too want J&K to become a State again. He was reported to have said that the grant of Statehood would settle the issues being raised by the BJP members.
The BJP MLAs countered the Minister saying the Government has been unable to respond to development related issues and is diverting focus towards Statehood.
“You speak on development. This is development review meeting. When the issue of Statehood comes up that can be discussed separately,” the BJP MLAs countered the Minister and charged him with having failed to respond to their development related issues and raising bogey of Statehood to divert attention.
Again, third-time Jammu-Reasi Lok Sabha member of the BJP Jugal Kishore Sharma strongly rebuffed the Minister’s argument saying he won the MLA’s election in 2002 and 2008 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and has won his fifth election including third as the Member of Parliament.
“You should speak sensibly. You were not in politics since I have been winning the elections,” Jugal said leaving Satish Sharma speechless.
BJP’s MLA from Akhnoor Mohan Lal also took Satish to task for not ordering any inquiry into the issue of Akhnoor stadium despite giving an assurance to this effect nearly a year ago.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after the meeting, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who earlier walked to the meeting venue in the DC Jammu office from his official residence at Residency Road, dismissed allegations of discrimination with Jammu over the proposed National Law University, questioning why similar concerns were not raised earlier when premier institutes like the IIT and IIM were established in the region.
He was responding to a question about allegations of discrimination with Jammu and the BJP’s demand for the shifting of the proposed NLU from Kashmir to Jammu.
“When Jammu got IIT and IIM, what did Kashmir get?” Omar asked.
“Then why didn’t you talk about equality? Then why didn’t you make a controversy that both should not be opened in Jammu? One should be opened in Jammu and one should be opened in Kashmir. Then you people did not feel bad. Now when it comes to the National Law University, you see discrimination. Leave this decision to us. No decision has been taken yet as to where to locate it. Let us take the decision and then we will see,” the Chief Minister said.
He said that despite fiscal constraints, the Government would continue with the budget framework initiated last year, ensure the progress of ongoing schemes, and introduce new initiatives to keep development on track and added that January and February are not the right time to take big decisions as any allocation made now would lapse in March.
“We have made a review in the meeting. Major decisions will be incorporated in next year’s Budget. A significant portion of the funds allotted to the district has already been utilized while we are fixing minor gaps,” the Chief Minister said.
“As much help from the Central Government would be good because the financial position of Jammu and Kashmir is not good. We would continue with last year’s budget framework, carry forward ongoing schemes, and introduce some new initiatives,” Omar said.
He asked for patience with regard to the budget, saying, “It is not possible that I will stand here and start telling you about the budget.”
Former Minister and BJP MLA from Jammu North Sham Lal Sharma told reporters after the meeting that the BJP has been raising issues of the people.
Responding to a question on the National Law University proposed to be set up in Kashmir; Sham said the Chief Minister considers Jammu and Kashmir is only across Banihal.
“He (Omar) needs to change such thinking,” he said, adding if they (the NC Government) want to keep Jammu and Kashmir united, they have to be judicious and shouldn’t ignore sentiments and requirements of the Jammu region.
Asserting that they are not saying that the University shouldn’t be given to Kashmir, the BJP MLA said there has been practice of giving two Institutes. Earlier also, we had to take AIIMS and some other Institutions after struggle, he added.
Voicing concern over the issues related to water, power and irrigation, Sham said the Government should expedite the proposal to pump water from river Chenab to Jammu as the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) has been suspended by the Central Government.
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