STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Senior Vice President JKPCC and former Minister Sham Lal Sharma on Wednesday expressed concern on the statement of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made during Youth Convention at Srinagar that State government shall withdraw cases registered against stone pelters and rehabilitate them by providing jobs in government/semi-government sectors.
Addressing monthly meeting of Block Congress Committee Akhnoor, Sham said that these youth had taken part in anti-national activities and also in stone pelting against security forces. He expressed surprise over CM’s concern for providing job opportunities to Kashmir youth involved in anti-national activities including stone pelting. “To realize this dream, she is inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Valley for getting his support”, he said and added that though he is not against the youth of the Valley but at the same time the youth from Jammu region who are nationalists and have never indulged in anti-national activities should not be given step-motherly treatment.
He said that giving undue bounties to Kashmir youth shall lead to provocation of Jammu youth that they can also avail benefits by indulging in anti-national activities.
“Under which policy the ex-gratia and jobs are being announced for those who had waged war against the State, attacked Police Stations and security camps, burned schools, snatched weapons from armed forces, killed security personnel besides injuring thousands?” Sham Sharma asked while recalling BJP Ministers stand that whosoever shall indulge in attack on security forces will not be given any ex-gratia.
He questioned that why BJP is neglecting Jammu youth in providing jobs while numerous avenues are being generated to give jobs to their counterparts in Kashmir. He also slammed the brutal Lathicharge on the protesting class 12 students hailing from Jammu region. He questioned BJP’s hypocrisy and prejudice against Jammu youth and asked the party to come clean over the issue.
Accusing the BJP of acting as petty accomplice of PDP, Sham said that the Saffron ministers had crossed all the limits of timidity to remain glued to power. “During elections the same BJP leaders had assured ‘zero tolerance’ to anti-nationals and subversives but had surrendered even their basics after their ascendance to power”, he said adding that earlier it was ex-gratia to the dreaded terrorist Burhan Wani’s family and now the stone pelters’ families are in line for the State honours in the form of monetary compensation and government jobs.
Sham said that there are about 61,000 daily wagers, NHM employees, contractual lecturers, Anganwari workers and helpers who are on roads for their absorption in these departments and some of them are facing starvation but government is reluctant and busy rehabilitating Kashmiri stone pelters.
