KL Report
SRINAGAR
The Congress party Wednesday said that the BJP reaped the benefits of polarization by pitting the people of Jammu and Kashmir against each other in a bid to reach its failed mission 44 to form a government in the state, a statement said.
The Congress spokesperson, Salman Nizami said that the fractured mandate has shown how BJP has secured 25 seats by drawing a communal line between Muslims and Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that emergence of a communal party like BJP in Jammu was detrimental to the overall peace and stability of the state.
“BJP has divided people on regional and religious lines as we had predicted. This is a very dangerous situation. This party can never be well wishers of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Nizami said. He added that if BJP would have contested polls on development, the party would not have secured a single seat in Jammu region given the fact that Congress party ensured just and equitable development to all the regions of the state.
“Our senior leaders specially Raman Bhalla have worked tirelessly for the welfare of the people. If development would have been the yardstick, he would have won the elections. However, BJP played communal card over development to reach their failed mission,” he said, and added “Despite vicious polarization campaign by the BJP, the Congress managed to secure 12 seats from the state. We’re happy that BJP’s plans have been defeated in the state,”
The spokesman said that the formation of a government was not an easy task for any party in the state. He said the PDP, the single largest party, has no option but to join hands with likeminded and secular parties to keep the communal parties at bay.
“BJP is gripped into controversies over their stand on Article 370, AFSPA and the recent forced conversion row. And if PDP, which sought votes for keeping BJP out of power, will forge an alliance with them, it will certainly push PDP into oblivion,” Nizami said.
He said it was BJP leadership who spoke against dynastic parties in J&K and now they are open for alliance with them. The Congress spokesman said that BJP is a party of dishonest, as their MLAs were found involved in grass voting against hefty sums of money during the last MLC elections.
“How can this party, who’s MLAs, prefer money and power, respect the sentiments and aspirations of the people of state,” he said.
