Image: IANS
SRINAGAR: From the snow-covered slopes of Gulmarg, J&K CM Omar Abdullah Sunday said Ladakh should be re-merged with the state and welcomed BJP’s official rejection of any further bifurcation of UT of J&K.“BJP legislators initially made statements about dividing Jammu and Kashmir. Now, if Tarun Chugh (BJP national general secretary) has clarified this is not the party’s stand. It is a good thing,” Omar told reporters after riding a snow scooter and skiing at the resort.“They (BJP) separated Ladakh from J&K and ruined it. We are saying Ladakh should be merged back with J&K,” he said.The CM also rejected any proposal to divide Jammu further. “We are not in favour of separating Jammu. Such theories are floated by BJP legislators and a few people in Kashmir who are close to the BJP,” he said.On August 5, 2019, the Union government abrogated Articles 370, 35A, which gave special status to J&K, and bifurcated and downgraded J&K into two Union Territories, UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh.A debate over the further bifurcation of J&K UT began early this month after BJP legislator Sham Lal Sharma pitched for a separate Jammu state, alleging discrimination against the region by “Kashmir-based rulers.” Several BJP legislators, including Vikram Randhawa, have since accused the CM of running the Kashmiri government and imposing “Kashmiri sentiment” on Jammu.Many in Kashmir, like Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone, in response advocated separation of two regions. “Maybe the time has come for an amicable divorce. This is not just about development. Jammu has become the proverbial stick to beat Kashmiris with,” Lone said.PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has rejected bifurcation of J&K, though she has sought two separate divisions in Jammu for Pir Panjal region of Rajouri Poonch and Chenab Valley comprising Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban.However, on Friday, leader of opposition in J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, and Chugh said under no circumstances will J&K ever be separated and the party’s top leadership is firmly committed to the unity and integrity of the Union Territory.After repeated statements by Sham Lal Sharma seeking a separate Jammu state, Javid Rana, minister for forests and environment in the state, was the first to call for the re-merger of Ladakh with J&K.National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah subsequently endorsed the demand. Omar reiterating the same position signals a clear shift in the NC’s stance on the UT of Ladakh. So far, the party was largely focused on the restoration of statehood to J&K.NC’s organisational footprint in Ladakh, particularly in Kargil, remains significant. Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa, a former Kargil district president of the NC, won the parliamentary election with the NC’s support and is close to the party. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, is currently run by the NC, with senior party leader Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoo serving as its chief executive councillor.
