Samikhsya Bureau
Interpreting the actions of the Bharatiya Janata Party like ‘when Rome was burning, Nero was fiddling ‘ J&K’s former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti made a scathing attack to say that when the blood of the martyrs of Pulwama yet to dry, the BJP was talking of construction of Ram mandir and their legislators making sorties to Chennai for pre-poll tie ups.
Hitting out at the BJP for speaking about construction of Ram temple at a time when 42 CRPF personnel were martyred in a militant attack in Pulwawa in south Kashmir on Thursday, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has said that instead of comforting these families, they (BJP leaders) are busy in canvassing.
“It is a double standard,” she said and alleged that a BJP minister flew to Chennai to negotiate a political alliance which is a heights of insensitivity.
Mufti who headed a coalition government with the BJP in the state before the saffron party pulled out in June last year reacting to clashes in Jammu appealed to show compassion and come together. Taking to micro-blogging site, she said: “ Post attacks, BJP Pres (president) spoke abt (about) building Ram Mandir. A Minister flew to Chennai to negotiate a political alliance. Heights of insensitivity. Acting out dialogues from the movie Uri doesnt count. Instead of comforting these families, they are busy canvassing. Double standards”.
She further tweeted that “On a day when countless CRPF soldiers have lost their lives fighting for their motherland, your priority is to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya? This is nauseating. She was reacting to a statement by BJP president Amit Shah who has said “ I would like to ensure everyone from here that Ram Mandir will be constructed in Ayodhya:”
Reacting to Republic TV that said that “40 martyred in worst ever attack on our soil: Any other option but to hit back?”, the former CM said “Really? Does a channel decide when the country will go to war now? Easy for armchair commentators sitting in their air conditioned studios to issue such farmaans. Since the armed forces will pay with their lives. Retaliation is made to sound so trivial”.
She further said: “At this time when passions are high, a section might support this deliberative & calculated pro war rhetoric that actually germinates in plush TV studios. But its the armed forces & innocent civilans that lose their lives. We musnt treat retailiation so casually”.
Speaking about clashes in Jammu, Mehbooba said “It will be a travesty & against the spirit of our secular ethno-cultural values to use this terror attack as an excuse to target minorities. Need of the hour is to show compassion & come together”.
Reacting to governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement that “Mehbooba, Omar and other mainstream Kashmir parties need to stop being soft on terrorism”, she said: “Stunned at his refusal to acknowledge grave security lapse despite intelligence inputs. Why were 2000 CRPF men allowed to travel in a convoy? Is air travel only for political elites? Defies common sense. Easy to blame us.J&K under guv rule so he cant abdicate responsibility.
“Heartbreaking images. One cant imagine their pain & helplessness. That last phone call will always be etched in their hearts. I hope regardless of political affiliations, we all can rise above the occasion & look for a peaceful & lasting solution”, she said.
(With UNI inputs)