‘We Are a Great Loser’: Former J&K CM After HM Amit Shah’s Development Claim

Ghulam Nabi Azad asserted, "We are a great loser after the state has been divided into two."

Ghulam Nabi Azad.

(Photo: IANS)

A day after Union Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah claimed that “nobody can stop the era of development that has started in J&K”, former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad disagreed, saying that the scenario hasn’t changed, and that growth, hospitals, and unemployment have not been taken care of at all.

Azad claimed that earlier when Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi invited political leaders from Kashmir at his residence, he had demanded statehood to be granted, followed by elections.

“Other parties also demanded. HM assured us that statehood will be granted and delimitation commission will give report,” Azad was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

This comes amid a spate of civilian killings in Kashmir. Till now, 11 civilians, including migrant labourers, have been killed in the union territory in October.

Meanwhile, Amit Shah’s declaration was made during his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, which began on 23 October.

On Monday, 25 October, Azad further claimed that he had requested both PM and HM that they are thankful to them that statehood is being granted and reminded them that state shouldn't have been divided into two.

Further, he had added that though the state was divided, now that the PM and HM have agreed to give statehood, they shouldn’t make the mistake of conducting the delimitation exercise first and then giving statehood.

Saying that the HM has repeated the same mistake, Azad added, “They would like to have delimitation first - I think they would like to have election first & then statehood. Our demand still today is that first statehood should be granted & that should be followed by elections,” ANI reported.

Azad further claimed, “We were told that scenario in J&K will change after abrogation of Art 370. Growth, hospitals, unemployment will be taken care of. But that has not happened at all. As a matter of fact, we were far better when it was being ruled by various CMs."

"So, we are a great loser. We are a great loser after the state has been divided into two. We are a great loser ever since the Assembly has been dissolved.”

(With inputs from ANI.)