Ladakh MP gets PM's praise for LS speech on Art 370

Ladakh MP gets PM's praise for LS speech on Art 370
Image source: Google

New Delhi: BJP member from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namagyan earned the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday on a motion to abrogate special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bill to split the state into two Union Territories.

Participating in the debate, Namgyan said the people of Ladakh had been fighting for UT status for the last seven decades.

"If Ladakh is today under-developed, then Article 370 and Congress party are responsible for it," the MP said.

In a tweet later, the prime minister said the Ladakh BJP MP coherently presented aspirations of people of the region in his "outstanding" speech.

"My young friend, Jamyang Tseing Namgyal who is @MPLadakh delivered an outstanding speech in the Lok Sabha while discussing key bills on J&K. He coherently presents the aspirations of our sisters and brothers from Ladakh. It is a must hear," Modi said in the tweet.

Home Minister Amit Shah joined the BJP MPs in applauding Namgyal during his speech by thumping desks and later mentioned it in his reply to the debate.

Namgyan said through the abrogation of some provisions of Article 370, the government wants to rectify mistakes committed by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

"1948, Buddhist Association of Ladakh had written to Nehru and requested him not merge Ladakh with Kashmir, but Nehru did not accept our request," he said.

The BJP MP also said that the future of Kashmir will be bright after passing of this resolution.

Taking jibe at the opposition, he said, "Only two political families of Kashmir will lose their bread and butter."

Namgyan also alleged that Kashmir got a major share of development funds, and Ladakh did not get anything.

"People of Jammu fought and got some developmental work done in their area, but people of Ladakh did not get anything," he asserted.

Namgyan also alleged that "two families" of J&K thought that the entire state is their private property.

He said majority of the people in Ladakh wanted it to be a Union territory and this was conveyed to then Home Minister Rajnath Singh when he visited the region.

Taking a dig at Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, he said, "Yesterday, Congress leader in Rajya Sabha (Ghulam Nabi Azad) was screaming his lungs out saying what will happen to Ladakh, what will happen to Ladakh.

"I want to ask him, in 2008 when he was the chief minister his government created eight new districts in J&K.

"Four were for Kashmir and the people of Jammu fought for an equal number. But Ladakh got nothing. Is this your equality?" 

He said the people will proudly unfurl the tricolour in Ladakh as the nation will now have a common flag.