Srinagar
With IIOJK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha meeting Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, and more paramilitary troops being rushed to Kashmir, speculation has been rife that New Delhi is about to make some major decisions on Jammu and Kashmir.
Sinha met Shah and Home Secretary A K Bhalla in New Delhi amid thousands of extra troops were rushed to IIOJK, the already highest militarized zone in the world.
Massive Indian military build-up and Sinha-Shah meeting gave rise to the rumours that India is planning to give statehood to Jammu and may bifurcate Kashmir into two Union Territories.
The speculation was strengthened after Jammu-based predominantly Hindu parties came forward demanding that Jammu be made a separate state. Experts say the demand has been raised at the behest of BJP government in New Delhi.
They, however, made it clear that India can’t change the disputed status of Kashmir by deploying more troops in the territory.
NC leader, Ruhullah Mehdi, while retweeting a tweet about the rumours, wrote, “With no batter to stand and defend this side of the pitch, they can throw anything.
Bouncer, slow bouncer, uneven bouncer, slow bouncer, fast bouncer, beamer. Especially while there is no umpire to check them for overstepping.”
The speculations led Congress to raise the demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the move would infuse confidence among the people.
A spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee said any delay in restoring the statehood was bound to cause more disconnect between New Delhi and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chairman of Ikkjut Jammu, advocate Akur Sharma told this newspaper that New Delhi should give statehood to Jammu, alleging that the region has been discriminated against by the Valley-based leadership of J&K.—KMS
