Srinagar, Feb 3 (JKNS): Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo on Tuesday said that the continued dilution of democratic powers in the Union Territory has adversely affected governance and youth opportunities, reiterating that restoration of full statehood and special status remains crucial for protecting the rights of the people.
Speaking to reporters, as per news agency JKNS, Minister Sakina Itoo said the National Conference has consistently raised these issues since the Omar Abdullah-led government assumed office.
“From the very first day of the formation of this government, we have been demanding restoration of statehood and special status at every appropriate forum. Our MLAs protested because this is not a political slogan but a genuine public demand,” she said.
Itoo said that elected representatives are currently functioning with curtailed authority. “When powers are taken away, it is the youth who suffer the most. Their rights and future opportunities have been weakened,” she added.
Rejecting demands for separate divisions for Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley, the Minister said such claims do not reflect ground realities. “There is no such demand from the people. The National Conference has always stood for a united Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
She further added that the party believes Ladakh should also be reintegrated. “Our vision is the restoration of a full-fledged Jammu–Kashmir–Ladakh state, as it existed earlier,” Itoo said.
On the BJP’s demand for establishing a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu, Itoo cautioned against regionalising educational institutions. “Education should never be divided on regional lines. We have already seen how medical colleges were shut on regional considerations. The same approach could be repeated with a law university,” she warned.
Advocating an inclusive approach, she said Kashmir has always welcomed students from Jammu across disciplines. “Thousands of students from Jammu are studying in Kashmir in MBBS, engineering and universities. Kashmir has never objected, nor will it ever do so,” she said.
Reiterating the ideological foundation of the National Conference, Itoo said, “Our politics is rooted in unity and coexistence. Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s message of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh unity continues to guide us,” she added. (JKNS)