Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over a fresh demand for a separate state of Jammu, accusing the party of having already "ruined" Ladakh after its separation from the erstwhile state.
Controversial Demand Sparks Political Row
The controversy erupted after BJP leader and former minister Sham Lal Sharma reiterated his long-standing demand for statehood for the Jammu region. Sharma, a legislator, cited alleged "discrimination" against Jammu as the reason for seeking the division of Jammu and Kashmir. This is not a new demand from Sharma, who first called for a separate Jammu state back in 2010 while serving as a minister in the National Conference-Congress coalition government.
Responding to the demand, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah questioned the BJP's motives and track record. "They separated Ladakh and ruined it completely," Abdullah told reporters. "Now, if they want to separate Jammu and ruin it as well, let them do it." He framed the demand as a sign of the BJP's political failure in the region, asking, "You couldn't handle Ladakh. Why are you ruining Jammu?"
Abdullah Accuses BJP of Divisive Politics
Abdullah alleged that the BJP, which often criticises his administration for governance issues, is itself involved in destroying the unity of Jammu and Kashmir. He challenged the basis of the separation demand, asking if it was being made "on the basis of religion." The Chief Minister issued a stern warning: "Do whatever you want to do, but don't destroy Jammu and Kashmir."
The reaction from the National Conference (NC) was swift and severe. Senior NC leader and minister from the Pir Panjal region, Javid Rana, delivered a poignant historical rebuttal. He reminded that Jammu and Kashmir was once a full-fledged state with boundaries extending to the North Western Frontier Province (now in Pakistan). "A heart was shattered into a thousand pieces," Rana said, referring to the successive partitions of the region.
Rana dismissed the notion of widespread support for separation within Jammu, stating there is no demand for a separate state from the Pir Panjal or Chenab regions. He sarcastically remarked that those who have broken Jammu and Kashmir now seem to want to make "Kanak Mandi (a small market in main Jammu) a state." Striking a hopeful note, Rana predicted, "I believe the day is not far when Ladakh will again become part of Jammu-Kashmir." He argued that a united Jammu and Kashmir is inevitable and that the Government of India has no other option.
NC Leaders Decry 'Dangerous' Game-Plan
Echoing the sentiment, NC's Jammu leader Ratan Lal Gupta condemned the separate statehood demand as a "dangerous game-plan." He labelled it an irresponsible and anti-people move that threatens both the unity of Jammu and Kashmir and the national interest. "This divisive demand is a deliberate attempt to fragment Jammu and Kashmir on regional and communal lines," Gupta asserted. He warned that such politics poses a serious threat to the integrity and security of the nation.
The exchange highlights the deepening political fissures in the region following the historic reorganization of the state into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019. The BJP's push for the separate Jammu state demand, coming from a senior local leader, and the vehement opposition from the ruling National Conference sets the stage for a renewed political battle over the identity and future of the region.
