A day after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 80,000-crore economic package for the state, the Jammu-based parties today took on the BJP-led NDA government for “ignoring” the aspirations of the people of the region and demanded a “relook” at the components of the package.
These groups also held demonstrations in the city and alleged that all issues concerning Jammu were overlooked and the Kashmir valley remained the focal point of the Prime Minister’s visit.
Panthers Party activists led by provincial president Rajesh Padgotra held a demonstration outside the BJP headquarters at Kachi Chawni here and raised slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state.
Padgotra said Modi failed to address the “most sensitive” issue of Article 370 which had deprived the state of holistic development and progress, besides fulfilling the political promise doled out to the people of the Jammu region on the subject of “Delimitation of Assembly Constituencies”.
He said despite Jammu province having a larger area it had only 37 Assembly seats whereas the Kashmir valley had 46 Assembly seats.
He also said the Prime Minister failed to announce state subject rights and compensation package for nearly one lakh West Pak Refugees, who had been left in lurch by the successive Central and state governments.
“The PM by ignoring the relief and compensation package for 2,200 families of Talwara migrants (Jammu migrants) at par with the Kashmiri migrants has pushed them to starvation,” he said.
Members of the Jammu West Assembly Movement, led by their president Sunil Dimple, also expressed resentment over the package terming it “confusing and jugglery of words”.
“The Prime Minister has disappointed the people of Jammu region as the economic package is Kashmir-centric. It discriminates with the Jammu region,” Dimple said, adding that Modi also refrained from announcing smart city status for Jammu.
He said there was small share for the Jammu region in the financial package.
