BJP reaffirms stand on united J&K, rejects Jammu statehood demand
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Jammu: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment to a united Jammu and Kashmir, firmly rejecting recent demands by some party MLAs seeking separate statehood for Jammu following its separation from Kashmir.
The party clarified its stance on the sidelines of a day-long workshop for its legislators ahead of the Budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, scheduled to begin on February 2.
“BJP believes in a fully united Jammu and Kashmir, including the parts under illegal occupation by Pakistan. The party remains committed to equitable and holistic development of the entire region, ensuring welfare for every citizen without discrimination based on region, religion, or any divisive consideration,” BJP national general secretary in charge of J&K, Tarun Chugh, told reporters.
Chugh was responding to queries regarding the demand recently raised by BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma and supported by other party leaders, including Vikram Randhawa. He accused the National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of propagating divisive narratives to create a wedge between Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that the Omar Abdullah government had failed to deliver on its promises to the people of the Union Territory.
The workshop was attended by several senior leaders, including J&K BJP president Sat Sharma, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta, and J&K Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, according to a party spokesman.
The sessions aimed to enhance legislative competence, ideological clarity, and organisational coordination among elected representatives. Chugh said such workshops are conducted regularly to ideologically and organisationally strengthen party office-bearers and legislators. “These interactions are crucial to align leaders with the party's policies, programmes, and vision, while equipping them to respond effectively to prevailing socio-political challenges,” he said.
Addressing the workshop, Thakur, who is also Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh, reflected on his long-standing emotional and organisational association with Jammu, recalling his formative years as a party worker. Presenting a roadmap focused on constituency-centric development, he urged MLAs to act as solution-oriented representatives who raise public issues effectively while upholding the dignity of democratic institutions.
Reiterating the BJP’s stance, Sat Sharma said the party considers J&K a single unit and stressed the importance of reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “The politics of NC and PDP is Kashmir-centric, but we stand firm that the entire J&K, including areas under illegal occupation by Pakistan, is a single unit,” he said. He added that the upcoming budget session is expected to be stormy, as BJP MLAs will highlight the alleged failures of the NC government to meet public expectations.
Sunil Sharma, J&K Leader of Opposition, also asserted that his party opposes any division of the two regions. Responding to recent remarks by the Chief Minister against him for raising the Jammu statehood demand, Sharma said no BJP worker aspires solely to the Chief Minister’s post. “I have come from a poor and ordinary family; for me, the nation, religion, and society are supreme. The CM post is not a big thing,” he said.
Sharma criticised the NC leadership, claiming only members of the Abdullah family can aspire to the Chief Minister’s position. “Leaders like Ali Mohd Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, and Mohd Shafi Uri, who dedicated their lives to the party, saw their aspirations crushed,” he said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had dismissed the Jammu statehood demand as a personal power play. “If he wants to be Chief Minister, why only Jammu and not the entire J&K? If ambition drives him, let him contest Jammu municipal elections,” Abdullah had said.
Sharma also dismissed comments by Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone, who supported the demand, noting that Lone has only won his own assembly seat in Handwara and therefore has no mandate to speak for the entire J&K. “Let him first expand his party to all 10 districts of Kashmir before talking about division,” Sharma said.
With PTI inputs
