Asaduddin Owaisi Spoke in Opposition to Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Channel: Majlis Maharashtra
Date: 2021-02-13

I spoke in opposition to Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. By merging J&K cadre in AGMUT, the government is showing that it has reneged on its 'promise' of reinstating full statehood of J&K. Despite a high Muslim population in the state, Muslim representation in the bureaucracy has been low. The canard that Kashmir is backward is a product of hatred, it is not based in facts. The truth is that 10.31% of the population lives below poverty in Kashmir while the all India figure is 21.92%. It is because of the government's wrong decisions that, for the third time in history, there is no Rajya Sabha representative from Kashmir. 

How many Kashmiri youth are detained in prisons away from Kashmir? Families are having to sell their properties to go see their imprisoned children in prisons far away from their homes. Foreign countries should not interfere in Indian affairs, but it is the government that has internationalised the Kashmir issue. They invite European delegations to tour Kashmir but don't organise an all party delegation of Indians, is this not FDI? Was it not under American pressure that you reinstated 4G internet in Kashmir? This internationalisation will increase alienation and disempowerment of Kashmiris. There is also a lesson for secular parties, you may have supported the downgrading of statehood for Kashmir, what will you do when this government makes union territories out of Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai, Benguluru, etc?