Jammu’s elected leaders let people down: Ex-MLC

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 22

Former Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Vikramaditya Singh, who is the grandson of the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, on Saturday took a dig at the elected leadership of the Jammu region for “letting the people down,” saying they had failed to put people’’s viewpoint in right perspective.

In a statement issued here, Vikramaditya Singh also favoured “harshest punishment” for those who are found guilty in the Rasana murder and alleged rape case of a minor girl but expressed his dismay over the “wrong projection” of Jammu people by the national media.

“The people of Jammu believe that such incidents should not have happened and whosoever is found guilty must be given severe punishment. This is the common belief of all people in Jammu. Since the times of maharajas, Gujjars, Bakerwals, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims live together in complete communal harmony. This is still prevailing in the region,” he said.

Vikramaditya Singh said there was a section of people who were bent on creating a Kashmir-like situation in the Jammu region. “They are trying to create communal tension in Jammu. Such people hatched a conspiracy to give the (Rasana) incident a communal touch and projected that the people are communal which is highly unfortunate, condemnable and wrong,” he said, adding that the people of Jammu would never want to have communal tension or regional imbalance on such matters.

The leader appealed to the people that they should not take any step which could create communal unrest in the area.

“There are many core issues pertaining to Jammu. An attempt has been made to sabotage our struggle for genuine issues. Our struggle will continue and we vow to achieve our goals,” he said.

Pertinently, Vikramaditya Singh had resigned from the ruling PDP and the post of MLC in October last year. He had said it was not possible for him to continue with the party which “disregarded the demands and aspirations of the Jammu region.”