‘Kashmir parties fighting poll for lust of power’
Fayaz Bukhari / Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Mar 27: Hitting out at Congress for promising Moon to the people during campaigning, BJP national general secretary and incharge J&K State, Ram Madhav today said that the Congress party is contesting the Lok Sabha elections in the State at the mercy of Kashmir based pro -separatist regional parties like National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Madhav, who was on the two days tour of the State to review the election preparedness of the party in the State while talking to reporters here this afternoon, said that knowing fully that Congress has no alternative to the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the party is promising Moon to the people and it has entered the election fray in the State begging support from the regional and pro-separatist parties NC and PDP.
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Lambasting Congress, Madhav said “weak administration, corrupt and dynastic parties can’t be an alternative to Modi under whose rule country made record progress in five years”.
“The position of Congress is weak in Jammu and the party is begging before NC and PDP for support. The party is dependent on NC and PDP vote in Jammu region as it has no support base in the region”, he added.
He said the position of the party has become so awkward that its leaders are joining BJP now.
Turning tables on National Conference (NC), he said its contesting candidate from Baramulla Parliam-entary Constituency, Mohammed Akbar Lone chanted pro Pak slogans and said that if any one abuses Pakistan he will abuse them ten times. Madhav, while demanding registration of FIR against Lone asked Congress to clear its stand on his statement.
Madhav asked, “how can a candidate, who is contesting Lok Sabha election, say that he will abuse anyone who abuses Pakistan. How can Lone raise ‘pro-Pakistani slogans”?
The BJP leader said he is confident that the people will not forgive Congress and teach the party a lesson during the Lok Sabha elections. He said the BJP has approached Election Commission of India (ECI) , has taken up the issue of Lone with the Commission and demanded registration of FIR against him.
Asserting that Articles 370 and 35 A are core issues for BJP and Party has never diverted its stand on the fundamental issues, Madhav said that they will form the part of party’s Election Manifesto. The BJP leader also lambasted the Kashmir parties including National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for their double standards.
He said that BJP continues to stick to its stand on Articles 370 and 35 A and it will form the part of party’s poll manifesto also.
Making a scathing attack on the leaders of NC and PDP, he alleged that the leaders of two parties have a lust for power and they are never bothered to strengthen the democracy at grass root level. “The parties which opposed Municipal Corporation and Panchayat elections are now contesting the Lok Sabha polls for their personal interest”, he added.
Lambasting these parties, he said they earlier opposed the Municipal and Panchayat polls because they never wanted to strengthen people at the grass root level but when it comes to the turn of their leaders, they are in fray, which is a clear indication that the leaders of these parties have lust for power.
Madhav said in comparison to that, BJP is for the strengthening of democracy and J&K is an important State for our party. He said the BJP is contesting the elections on the five years performance of Modi Government and on its developmental agenda.
Lambasting the Kashmir centric parties, he said they have ganged up against Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and BJP in Jammu by aligning with Congress party while no such alliance has been made in Kashmir where the three parties are fighting the polls separately.
Earlier addressing a press conference in the summer capital of Srinagar, Madhav while hitting out at People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti for calling her party workers ‘real Mujahideen’, said how can a ‘Mujahideen’, who terrorises people, be political workers of PDP.
Such statements by the two regional parties show their real character, he added.
Upping the ante against NC for Lone’s comment, the BJP national general secretary asked Fraooq Abdullah-led party if it agreed with the statement of its candidate for Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming Parliamentary elections.
Madhav said that both the regional political parties have no clue about the sentiments of the people of Kashmir valley. People in Kashmir want peace, development, electoral rights but these leaders are raising pro-Pakistani slogans. They are saying Mujahideens are their workers, he added.
Urging the people of Kashmir valley to use their electoral rights wisely, he said electorate should vote the representatives, who will give them development and peace.
Madhav also said curbs on separatists in Kashmir would continue, while lashing out at NC and the PDP for their “pro-separatist statements”.
“The regional parties are announcing that they will revoke the ban on separatists and terror leadership. The ban was ordered as people here want peace and there is peace now. But these regional parties want the ban to go so that full freedom is given to those who spread violence,” Madhav said.
“I want to say that this will not be possible even in dreams. The curbs on anti-national, terror and separatist outfits in the Valley, which started few months back, will continue,” he said.
He said the endeavour of the party and the Narendra Modi-led Government at the Centre was to bring peace and happiness to the peace-loving people of Kashmir and give them development and democratic rights.
“We appeal to the people to participate in large numbers in the Parliamentary polls and use their vote wisely by making differentiation between nationalists and anti-nationals,” he said.
Without naming anyone, Madhav said since the Lok Sabha polls were announced, some parties in the Valley “are trying to create a new kind of atmosphere here”.
“Action is taken wherever there is an apprehension of terror activities, but the whole State is calm otherwise. People want peace and democratic processes to move forward, but unfortunately, the regional parties here still do not understand what the people want,” he said.
Hitting out at the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party, the BJP national general secretary said their statements demonstrate their real character.
Asked whether the mainstream parties in Kashmir were trying to occupy the separatist space by making such statements as given by NC candidate Lone, the BJP leader said “it is a sad commentary about the plight of the two regional parties”.
He asked the NC and the PDP why they were contesting the Parliament polls when they had boycotted the local bodies’ polls in the State last year.
The BJP leader said the party has demanded that the Assembly polls in the State should be held as soon as possible.
“We have demanded the Election Commission to conduct the Assembly polls as soon as possible. It is our endeavour that people of J-K get their democratic rights”, he added.
Asked about any possibility of an alliance with either the NC or the PDP in future, Madhav said the NDA was confident of securing a majority.
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