Major setback to party in Kashmir
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 29: In a major setback to State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kashmir valley, the State vice president of party’s Youth Wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and some other leaders of the parent body today resigned in protest against what they called the step motherly treatment given to them by the State leadership.
While BJYM State vice president, Bilal Parrey who resigned from party today accused the party leadership of not providing him and his like leaders the proper security and thereby putting their lives in grave risk despite the fact that BJP and BJYM workers were working under trying circumstances in the militancy ravaged Kashmir, BJP district vice president from Pulwama, Riyaz Ahmed Mir, who quit the party yesterday said that they were facing discriminatory treatment at the hands of State leadership despite the fact that joining the party in Kashmir they have thrown their lives in danger.
Mir said a week ago, the district president of the party’s Pulwama Unit Master Abdul Gani also resigned from the party as the leadership was playing a partisan role with them and never treating them at par with other State leaders of their level.
He said “even in nomination of posts we were discriminated against and leaders were thrust on us from top despite the fact that we worked a lot on grass root level so that the party can gain its foothold in Valley. Instead of rewarding us for our dedication and hard work in strengthening the party at grass root level the leadership ignored and betrayed us which became the main cause of quitting the party.”
Bilal Parrey, who was recently appointed the vice president of the party by the State BJYM and BJP leadership after the reconstitution of BJYM in the State, said that he had worked a lot in Kashmir valley in organizing the BJYM. He said it was due to his efforts that 2500 youth from different parts of Kashmir turned up in the BJYM rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Ground in Srinagar early this year which was addressed by party’s national president and MP, Poonam Mahajan.
He said despite making repeated pleas to party leadership to provide him security, his pleas were totally ignored. “I had many times requested the party leaders of the State to take care of the security of the prominent party men in the Valley but no one paid the heed and this attitude of senior leaders of State forced me to quit the Party”, he added.
Parrey said already two leaders of BJYM were killed in Pulwama and Shopian districts of South Kashmir.
Two leaders of BJYM including Gowhar Bhat youth president of district Shopian and Shabir Ahmed Bhat Constituency president, Pulwama were killed by militants and this was the indication that the BJP and BJYM activists are becoming the soft targets of militants. The party instead of taking the cognizance of the same did not bother to provide security to its leaders in Valley and they have been exposed to grave security risk by such a negligent attitude of BJP leadership, alleged Parrey.
Both Parrey and Mir accused the leadership of failure in redressing the grievances of the party activists working in Valley and said that they were victimized by the senior leadership of the State. “When the Party can’t provide security to its workers how can it protect a common man”?, they asked.
Another party leader said that two days back they met a senior leader of the party in Srinagar and informed him about the threat being faced by the cadre due to increasing militancy related violence in the Valley and the party activists are left with no option but to resign if security is not given to them.
“This senior leader instead of hearing the activists in a proper way asked them that whosoever wants to resign is free to do so and this has hurt our feelings”, he added.
He said it was with efforts and dedication of the party activists that BJP opened its offices in 10 districts in Valley at present where as NC and Congress, which are the old parties of Kashmir valley, have no regular offices in those districts.
However, BJP State spokesman Altaf Thakur while admitting that the security can be one of the reasons for party cadre, asserted that it was taken care of and the issue was taken up by party general secretary (Org) Ashok Koul with IGP Kashmir, S P Pani few days back and IGP had assured that he will review the entire security and beef up the security of those party leaders who need it most.
Thakur said that dedicated party men in the Valley are solidly behind BJP and its leadership while the opportunists are resigning in search of green pastures outside.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
