Srinagar, January 14, 2026 : Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone on Wednesday stirred a political debate by suggesting that the time may have come for an “amicable divorce” between Jammu and Kashmir, alleging persistent opposition from sections in Jammu to developmental initiatives in the Kashmir region.
Lone’s remarks came amid demands from certain quarters in Jammu to shift the recently announced National Law University (NLU) from Budgam district of central Kashmir to the Jammu region, along with renewed calls for the administrative separation of Jammu from Kashmir.
In a statement, Lone urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to honour his electoral commitment of establishing the Law University in Budgam, stressing that institutional credibility demands adherence to promises made to the electorate.
“The sanctity of the office of the chief minister requires that commitments are honoured. The Law University was promised to Budgam and must remain there,” Lone said.
Questioning what he termed Jammu’s “obsessive opposition” to Kashmir-centric development, Lone said he wished prosperity for Jammu but criticised the repeated resistance to projects meant for Kashmir.
“They already have an IIM. What is wrong if a Law University comes up in Kashmir?” he asked, adding that the demand to claim “everything and anything that Kashmir wants” borders on “lunacy”.
Lone suggested that the repeated friction over development and governance points to deeper structural issues between the two regions.
“Maybe the time has come for an amicable divorce. Jammu has increasingly become the proverbial stick to beat Kashmir with,” he said.
He accused certain Jammu-based voices of “selective courage”, alleging that they remained silent when the Centre curtailed regional privileges, diverted business interests and ended the Darbar Move, but raise their voice only against Kashmir.
According to Lone, Kashmir’s integration with the rest of India cannot be achieved through voices that continuously malign the region.
“If Kashmir is to integrate with the rest of the country, it will have to be done without the trusted services of touts who slander Kashmiris day in and day out, portraying one region as nationalist and the other as terrorist,” he said.
He claimed that public sentiment in Kashmir has shifted significantly, particularly on issues related to reservations and regional equity.
“People in Kashmir can’t take it anymore. On reservations, Kashmiris are being crowded out. The desire for divorce is much higher in Kashmir today than ever before. What is needed is leadership willing to call a spade a spade,” Lone asserted.
The controversy follows remarks by BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma, who recently demanded the separation of Jammu over alleged discrimination. However, the BJP’s state leadership later distanced itself from the statement, clarifying that it does not reflect the party’s official stand.
