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No move to trifurcate Jammu & Kashmir, clarifies Centre

The government on Tuesday assured the Lok Sabha that there was no move to trifurcate the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

Responding to National Conference member Abdul Rashid Shaheen's concern during zero hour over the statements made by some political leaders suggesting the division of the state into three parts, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan dismissed the suggestion, saying the government was not even thinking of it.

Mahajan said Jammu & Kashmir was an integral part of India and in the same way, Ladakh and Jammu were inseparable parts of Kashmir.

Raising the issue, Shaheen said that any division of J&K would pose a serious threat to the country's unity and warned the Centre against resorting to any such step.

Minister of State for Home Ch Vidyasagar Rao said there was no proposal either to declare the entire state a disturbed area invoking emergency powers to contain cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said the state government had in 1990 already declared the districts of Anantnag, Baramulla, Badgam, Kupwara, Pulwama and Srinagar and areas falling within 20km of the Line of Control in the districts of Rajouri and Poonch as disturbed areas.

He said that in the present context of the government's peace initiative and the prevailing security situation, a change in this situation was not necessary.

PTI

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