The BJP, while expressing its reservation against the joint statement of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industries (KCCI) and its Jammu counterpart, today said demand of creating free economic zone to trade with China, Pakistan and Central Asia was against the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
“The joint statement of traders of Kashmir and Jammu is ill-conceived and has dangerous implications and consequences,” said Varinder Gupta, spokesperson of the BJP’s state unit.
“The demand for free economic zone is against the sovereignty of the country and it amounts to recognising Jammu and Kashmir as a separate independent country,” Gupta said.
He further said the demand was not a part of the PDP-BJP dispensation’s common minimum programme.
Gupta also said it seemed that there were separatist and anti-national forces behind the demand. “As such the demand cannot be accepted,” he said and he cautioned the state and the Central government to be vigilant against the forces which used traders to raise such a demand.
With regard to the demand of handing over the hydro-electric projects which were presently controlled by the NHPC to the state, the BJP spokesperson said these projects were built and installed by the Government of India through the NHPC under an agreement signed by the state government.
“The joint statement of traders that these projects have been illegally occupied by the Government of India is ill conceived,” he said.
