‘Houses of Jamatis torched, properties looted during NC rule’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 14: While strongly defending his party’s poll manifesto which among other things has promised abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution, BJP State spokesperson, Altaf Thakur today said that abrogation of these articles was on the agenda of the party since the time of Bharatiya Jan Sangh (BJS) and there is nothing new in it.
Thakur, while talking to Excelsior said that Opposition parties including NC and PDP were befooling the people on the Article 370 and 35 -A which are the main hurdles and barriers in the development of the State. By taking rescue under these articles the two parties do not want that common Kashmiri should progress and go ahead so they keep them entangled in the controversial issues, he added.
Maintaining that those laws, which are impediment and barrier in the development of the State and progress of the people should go so that the J&K will progress and become one of the developed states of the country. Thakur said that being a Kashmiri he is first Indian as J&K is an integral part of the India as it acceded to Indian Union in 1947 as the other princely states of India merged with the country.
Referring to the statement of Lt. Gen (retd) Hooda that J&K’s special status should not go, he said Gen. Hooda is a retired Army officer and I don’t agree with his views. “If any law intensifies secessionism and terrorism it needs to be removed’’, he added.
He, while defending the party decision of snapping of ties with its erstwhile coalition partner PDP, Thakur said it was an compulsion to form Government with PDP in 2014 and later after the death of then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed but after party reverted back to its agenda there was no fun for BJP to stay in alliance with it, he added.
He, while hitting out both NC and PDP leadership said that they don’t want that democracy should percolate to grass root level in the State and the poor people should be elected as members in Panchayats and Municipal Committees so they boycotted these elections. But when it comes to Lok Sabha and Assembly poll they did not boycott because they want their own empowerment by contesting these elections, he added.
Making a dig at the leaders of these parties, Thakur said they own mansions in Srinagar, Jammu, Delhi and Dubai as they looted the State exchequer over the years.
He also disapproved the reports that militancy related incidents intensified in Kashmir during BJP rule due to its failures and said that some agencies were working to disturb the peace in the State. He maintained that PM, Narendra Modi was sincerely working for development of the State especially Kashmir.
Defending the ban on separatist organizations like Jamat-e-Islami and JKLF, Thakur said BJP opened the doors for dialogue after coming to power for restoration of peace but they continued to support to terrorism. He, while taking a dig at NC leadership who are opposing the ban on Jamat asked them that who were responsible for torching the houses of Jamatis and looting their properties after the hanging of Pakistan then PM , Z A Bhutoo in seventies. The NC was in power at that time in the State and there was no BJP at that time, he added.
He, while defending the Narendra Modi Government said his five years performance at Centre is much more better than 60 years of Congress rule.
Thakur also made an appeal to voters of Kathua, Doda , Udhampur Constituency to vote for Dr Jitendra Singh irrespective of their religion and caste.
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