NEW DELHI: A delegation of JKNPP leaders led by its Chairman, Harsh Dev Singh flanked by State President, Balwant Singh, State President of Young Panthers YashPal Kundal on Friday submitted a memorandum to the Union Health Minister, J.P Nadda at Nirman Bhawan seeking restoration of AIIMS to Jammu.
The memorandum reads “JKNPP would like to invite your kind attention towards the announcement made in New Delhi on 28th February, 2015 by the Union Finance Ministry as well as by Dr. Jitendra Singh, MOS in PM’s office regarding the establishment of much awaited AIIMS project in Jammu. The statements of the two leaders were carried in a leading English daily newspaper, the copies of which are enclosed as Annexure-I & Annexure-II. The two union leaders had very categorically and in unambiguous terms announced the AIIMS for Jammu with Dr. Jitendra Singh emphatically maintaining that the assurances given during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s regime on AIIMS for Jammu have been fulfilled in Narendra Modi Government.
Having announced the AIIMS for Jammu through successive statements issued from New Delhi, it is surprising to note that the BJP-PDP Coalition in J and K issued a rejoinder stating therein that the said AIIMS would be established in Kashmir. The statement has come as a bolt from the blue for the people of Jammu who feel cheated and betrayed due to the unilateral and mischievous change of location effected by local leadership of BJP and PDP in the State. The fact remains that AIIMS was sanctioned for Jammu and it can’t be allowed to be shifted to Kashmir at the behest of J and K BJP which in its desperation to appease its coalition partner is indulging in the most treacherous bargain. The people of Jammu who feel hurt and humiliated have expressed their anguish and resentment with continuous protests and demonstrations taking place in various districts as well as Tehsil headquarters.
The J and K BJP having surrendered to the whims of its all powerful ally in J and K, we are left with no option but to approach your honour to intervene so as to ensure the restoration of AIIMS project to Jammu in consonance with the announcements made by the Union Government in this regard”.
Others who comprised delegation include Rajiv Jolly Khosla, Neeraj Gupta, Deep Kumar Gupta and Parshotam Singh.