We’ll take up issue with Government: President Sharma
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which runs the coalition Government with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, on Wednesday pushed for setting up of Sainik colonies in Kashmir.
The BJP reiterated its demand for setting up Sainik colonies in the Valley at a time when the PDP-led Government is under attack over the proposal and has been reiterating that there was no land available for setting up such clusters.
“Our stand is clear. We (BJP) are for setting up Sainik Colonies for retired soldiers who are state subjects,” said State BJP President while talking to reporters at SKICC after Governor’s address to the joint sitting of the state legislators.
The opposition and the separatists have opposed any move to build Sainik Colonies in Kashmir with different pro-freedom parties mulling a joint strategy to counter the proposal.
Sharma who is MLA from Jammu-West asserted that the Government was looking into the issues of land for the colonies.
“Why shouldn’t we have a colony for the soldiers when they defend and secure our borders? We will be taking up the issue with the Government,” Sharma said.
To a question why BJP had a different stand on the issues in comparison to the Government, Sharma said: “We have our own stand and we work as per our ideology,” said Sharma.
On the issue of settlement of the migrant Pandits in Kashmir, the BJP President said the community should be rehabilitated “as per they own desire”.
“We are for return and settlement of Pandits in the Valley in a dignified manner,” he said.
For the past few weeks the state Government has been under attack over the issue of the Sainik Colonies and separate townships for the Pandits in Kashmir
“The issue (return of Pandits) should be addressed by talking to them and addressing it as per their desire,” said Sharma.
