BJP leader calls for separate Jammu state, Omar Abdullah responds: ‘You couldn’t handle Ladakh…’

After BJP leader and former minister Sham Lal Sharma stirred a controversy by calling for a separate state for the Jammu region, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that the BJP “ruined” Ladakh by separating it from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and asked whether they wanted to do the same to Jammu.

“They separated Ladakh and ruined it completely,” Abdullah said while talking to reporters. “Now, if they want to separate Jammu and ruin it as well, let them do it.”

Citing “discrimination” against Jammu, BJP leader and legislator Sham Lal Sharma last week demanded the division of Jammu and Kashmir and statehood for Jammu. This is not the first time that Sharma has demanded a separate Jammu state. In 2010, when he was a minister in the National Conference-Congress government, Sharma had demanded a separate state for Jammu.

Abdullah said the demand for a separate state for Jammu is an indication that the BJP’s politics had failed. “You couldn’t handle Ladakh. Why are you ruining Jammu? Somehow, their politics has failed, and they suddenly remembered statehood for Jammu,” the Chief Minister said. “On what basis (are they trying to separate Jammu)? On the basis of religion? Do whatever you want to do, but don’t destroy Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

The BJP, Abdullah said, is accusing his government of not taking care of Jammu and Kashmir, but “it is they (BJP), who are involved in destroying it”.

National Conference minister and senior leader from the Pir Panjal region, Javid Rana, said the time is not far when Ladakh will also be part of Jammu and Kashmir.

“There was a time when J&K was a full-fledged state, its boundaries were up to the North Western Frontier Province (in Pakistan). A heart was shattered into a thousand pieces — some fell here, and some fell there,” Rana said. “You (the Union government) gave one part to Pakistan, you gave Gilgit-Baltistan to Pakistan. You separated Ladakh. Now we have only Jammu and Kashmir left,” he said.

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Rana said there is no demand for a separate state from the Pir Panjal or the Chenab regions of Jammu division. “Now, the people who have broken (Jammu and Kashmir) want to make Kanak Mandi (a small market in main Jammu) a state as well. If they want to make Kanak Mandi a state, what can we say?” he asked, adding, “I believe the day is not far when Ladakh will again become part of Jammu-Kashmir, and it will be a united Jammu-Kashmir. The Government of India has no other option.”

NC’s Jammu leader Ratan Lal Gupta has called the demand for a separate Jammu a “dangerous game-plan”.

“It is a dangerous, irresponsible and anti-people game plan that threatens the unity of Jammu and Kashmir and undermines national interest,” he said. “This divisive demand is a deliberate attempt to fragment Jammu and Kashmir on regional and communal lines… Such politics is not only harmful for Jammu and Kashmir, but also poses a serious threat to the integrity and security of the nation.”

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.

Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.

Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:

Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.

Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.

Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.

Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. … Read More