Asserting that BJP is no longer an outsider and is fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha election as a mainstream party in Kashmir, party’s general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said that the party is working hard to improve its electoral base in the Valley also.
Mr Madhav said the ban on separatist organisations (JKLF and Jamaat-e-Islami) will not be lifted.
He said that BJP has already asked the Election Commission to hold State Assembly elections at the earliest in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are fighting election as a mainstream party in the Valley. Our strength is limited but today one can’t say that BJP is an outsider. BJP has good number of Sarpanches and Municipal councilors, a few of them in Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC),” Mr Madhav told reporters during a press conference here.
Claiming that BJP will win both the seats in Jammu and one seat in Ladakh, he said the party is trying very hard to improve its position in the valley. “We have put up three candidates in the valley and are working to improve the electoral base here. I would also request people to vote for the candidates contesting on BJP tickets in the Valley,” he said.
“Like in the rest of the country, we are committed to uphold the democratic process in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The decision to hold Parliament elections on time in the state is in view of that… you know panchayat and municipal elections were held and Lok Sabha elections are also happening on time… Similarly, we have asked the EC to hold Assembly elections at the earliest,” Mr Madhav said.
Lashing out at National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said since the announcement for elections has been made, other political parties are trying to create a negative atmosphere in the valley.
“One party candidate is raising pro-Pakistan slogans and another party is calling its workers ‘Mujahideen’. How can a candidate, who is contesting Lok Sabha election, say that he will abuse anyone who abuses Pakistan. BJP demands that an FIR should be filed by the local administration against Mr Lone for his anti-national comments. How can Mehbooba Mufti call her party workers as ‘Mujahideen’, who terrorizes people,” he said.
He said BJP has been tough on militancy in the last few months in the Valley and at the same time have increased the pace of development in the state. “That is the reason why people are living in peace and harmony in the Valley. People want peace and want the democratic process to move forward. But unfortunately, the regional parties don’t understand the feeling of the people of the Valley,” he added.
Lashing out at the two regional parties for boycotting Panchayat and municipal polls over Article 35 A and Article 370, he asked why are they fielding candidates in the Lok Sabha elections as the stand of Centre on these acts has not changed. “I want to ask them, why are they (NC and PDP) contesting Lok Sabha elections when they asking people to boycott municipal and panchayat polls as the stand of the Centre was not clear on Article 35-A and Article 370,” he said.
“They were telling people that these articles have a threat by the Modi government, but the NDA government is still in the Centre and will again come back to power. Our stand on Article 35-A and Article 370 has not changed it is still the same. Why are they contesting Lok Sabha elections now?” he added.
He said the two regional parties actually don’t care for the aspirations of the people. “They only protect the interest of their families and don’t care about the people,” he said.
Lashing out at Ms Mufti for saying that they will remove the ban on JeI if voted to power, he said her party wants the separatists to get a free hand so that they can once again disrupt peace in the Valley. “The regional parties are announcing that the ban imposed by the Centre on separatist leaders and their organisations will be lifted if they are voted to power. The regional parties want the separatists to get a free hand so that they can once again disrupt peace in the Valley,” he said.
But, he said, “I want to make one thing clear that ban will not be lifted from these organisations. Our resolve to restore normalcy in the Valley will continue.” (UNI)
