Jammu, Feb 2: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Monday said that India remains focused on its own progress and is not affected by internal decisions taken by neighbouring countries, amid reports that Pakistan may not play a cricket match against India in the upcoming World Cup.
Responding to a query on the issue on the sidelines of the budget session here, Choudhary as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that such decisions do not matter to India.
“If that is their decision, it does not make any difference to us. India is a very big country,” he said, adding that sports and politics should be kept separate. “Politics destroys sports,” he said.
The deputy chief minister also targeted the BJP over its promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“During the elections, the BJP had promised that Jammu and Kashmir would be granted statehood after the polls.
The Leader of Opposition should clarify when this promise will be fulfilled,” he said.
Choudhary said economic activity in Jammu had benefited from the earlier practice of the ‘Darbar Move’, which involved shifting the seat of the government between Jammu and Srinagar.
“The activity seen in Jammu markets today is due to the Darbar Move started during Omar Abdullah’s government. It was discontinued during the BJP’s tenure,” he said.
He further questioned the BJP over vacancies in academic institutions, alleging that there was no vice-chancellor from Jammu province in any university.
“This is a serious issue,” he said, also raising concerns over employment opportunities for locals and claiming that outsiders had been appointed in several institutions.
“I am neither from Jammu nor Kashmir, I am an Indian,” Choudhary said.(KNS).
