JAMMU, Jul 12: Taking a sharp dig at the National Conference (NC), the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Jammu & Kashmir unit on Sunday termed the party’s proposed protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20 as a “mere photo-op” and a “political PR stunt.”
In a scathing remark, Shiv Sena (UBT) J&K chief Manish Sahni stated that history cannot be rewritten with photographs, nor can rights be secured merely through slogans. He added that if staging sit-ins and posing for cameras could restore full statehood, Jammu & Kashmir would have reclaimed its status seven years ago.
Sahni emphasized that achieving full statehood is not the private agenda of any single political outfit. He asserted that if the National Conference were genuinely serious about the cause, it should have convened all-party meetings in Jammu and Srinagar instead of rushing to Delhi and Organiseing rallies.
This, he noted, would have brought all political parties together to forge a united and formidable strategy.
Sahni also strongly objected to the chief cleric of Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, advocating for the alignment of this protest with the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.
“Such controversial statements hand the Central Government a perfect alibi to defer the restoration of statehood,” Sahni remarked, making it unequivocally clear that Jammu is no longer willing to pay the political price for Kashmir-centric politics and provocative rhetoric.
Training his guns on the BJP-led Central Government, Sahni questioned its mysterious silence on full statehood. He pointed out that despite the people of Jammu & Kashmir reaffirming their faith in democracy through an overwhelming turnout in the assembly elections, the Center’s reticence remains baffling.
He stated that the public is now weary of hollow assurances and demands a definitive timeline and a concrete roadmap for the restoration of statehood.
Concluding with a stern warning, Sahni declared that Jammu would no longer act as a “pawn” to the controversial agendas of Kashmir-based political parties and their leadership. He reaffirmed that Jammu’s interests, dignity, and political rights remain paramount, and no compromise will be tolerated on these fronts. On this occasion Sanjay Bhatt (Gen Secretary (Org.)), Aditya Mahajan (Vice president) were present.