NEW DELHI: Blaming the BJP-PDP Government in Jammu and Kashmir for the worsening law and order situation in the state, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday said the policies of the Central Government and that of BJP’s coalition Government in the state with the PDP had caused the alienation of Kashmiris. Initiating a debate on the statutory resolution for the imposition of President’s rule in the State, Mr Azad said, “the BJP-PDP Government in the state and the policies of the NDA Government at the Centre have led to an increase in militancy.
Today, if a policeman goes on leave he is advised not to go to his home. It is because of the worsening of law and order under the BJP-PDP Government.
“The security situation has worsened. Tourism is at its lowest. There is total alienation of the people in the state. When an educated person like a PHD take to militancy, it says something about the functioning of the Government at the Centre.”
Noting that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had supported the Indian Government to fight Pakistani ‘rangadars’ immediately after the Independence, Mr Azad said, “the fact that Kashmiris supported the efforts of the Indian Government despite the majority of them being Muslims shows their Indianness.
If these very people are today angry towards the Central Government, it shows that mistakes have been committed by this Government.”
He said that in order to bring Kashmiri people into the mainstream, the Government at the Centre needed to be accommodative towards them.
“The previous UPA Government had been accommodative towards the aspirations of the Kashmiris, which was often described as ‘appeasement’.. Many of the Kashmiris still consider India as their country,” he said.
Calling Kashmiri pundits as being part of the culture of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, “Kashmiri pundits as well as Kashmiri Muslims have one blood.
However, they had to flee the state after the militancy in 1989. Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri pundits.” While crediting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as carrying out efforts for the reconciliation of Kashmiris, Mr Azad, admitted that that he did not get support from his party.
“The Manmohan Singh Government stepped up efforts for development in Jammu and Kashmir. During the rule of the UPA, trains services were started in Jammu and Kashmir.
Roads were also built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Tourism was at its climax during the UPA rule,” he said. He, however, lamented that the BJP-PDP resulted in undoing the efforts done by the previous UPA Government.
“The maximum number of ceasefire violations and infiltration happened during the rule of the BJP-PDP in the state,” he said. He also charged the BJP of indulging in horse trading after the imposition of Governor’s rule in the state.
“In the fourth month period after the imposition of Governor rule, the BJP indulged in horse trading. However, the moment, it got wind of efforts by national conference, PDP and the Congress planning to come together for forming a Government in the state, they dissolved the State Assembly,” he said. He also charged the NDA Government of bringing 55 amendments in laws of the state. (agencies)
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