Predicting that a new leadership will emerge in the Valley in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the BJP’s J&K poll in-charge Ram Madhav Wednesday accused the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of allegedly taking the support of former militants in their poll campaigning.
The election manifestos released by the NC and the PDP promise restoration of Article 370 and statehood, resolution of the Kashmir issue, and talks with Pakistan, among other pledges.
Hitting back at Madhav over his accusations, the PDP said it is for “inclusive politics” and that the BJP has no right to preach as “a majority of its so-called cadre in Kashmir comprises surrendered militants”. The NC said Madhav’s remarks indicated that the BJP was “scared” in facing the J&K polls.
Madhav visited the Valley to attend the BJP candidates’ filing of nomination papers for the second phase of polls.
“New leadership that wants peace and development will have to emerge and for that people of J&K will have to come forward,” he told reporters.
“A new leadership will emerge in J&K – of those who want peace, who don’t support terrorism, and of those who want development. Such new people, new parties and leaders will emerge in Kashmir,” Madhav said. “In Jammu, the representative of peace and development, BJP will emerge”.
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He also claimed the BJP will emerge as the single largest party and that a new government led by the party would be formed in J&K.
The senior BJP leader said the J&K people have undergone a tragedy, blaming the NC and the PDP for it. “These are historic elections. I am sure those families will be shunted out because of whom people of Jammu and Kashmir went through a tragedy in last 30-40 years,” he said.
Maintaining that a young leadership will come to the fore, Madhav also alleged that “J&K was under the grip of two families, which need to be shown the door,” referring to the families of NC president Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.
On the banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami’s decision to return to electoral politics, Madhav said whoever joins the democratic process is welcome. He attributed this to the “transparent manner” in which the Lok Sabha elections were held earlier this year.
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Reacting to Madhav’s charges, PDP leader Naeem Akhtar told The Indian Express: “Ram Madhav is free to say anything but as far as PDP is concerned, we are for inclusive politics. We don’t consider them (former militants or separatists) as personae non gratae if they enter the mainstream and take oath of the Constitution,” asking “Otherwise, what is the BJP’s plan for them?”
He said there are enough examples of former militants or separatists returning to the J&K Assembly. “Sajad Lone is an outstanding example of those (separatists) who came back (to mainstream) and are being welcomed,” Akhtar said. “It is not Ram Madhav’s place to preach to PDP what to do and what not to do. We are an independent party that stands for reconciliation and for reducing tensions. The majority of their (BJP) so-called cadre (in Kashmir) comprises surrendered militants”.
Lone was a BJP ally and a minister from its quota in the previous PDP-BJP coalition government.
Akhtar said, “Madhav was the one who finalised the agenda of alliance with the PDP (for their coalition government in 2014) in which the first point was preservation of J&K’s special status and dialogue with Pakistan, Hurriyat and everyone to involve them for peaceful resolution of Kashmir.”
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“He (Madhav) can’t run away from that. We are on the same agenda, we are not like the BJP that we enter into a marriage of convenience,” Akhtar added.
Spelling out the NC’s reaction, the party’s chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq told The Indian Express, “They (BJP) are scared. Probably they want to garner some support in Jammu because they know nobody is going to buy their argument in Kashmir.” He added that “We are not fighting for anything except for what was snatched from us”.
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