‘BJP, Independent candidates being threatened’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 28: Making a scathing attack on National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for boycotting the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Panchayat elections in the State, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary and incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav today alleged that the two Kashmir centric parties are on same page with militants and separatists and they boycotted the elections at their behest.
Ram Madhav, who is on the three days tour of the State, was talking to reporters here this afternoon soon after his arrival from the summer capital.
He said both the parties tried their best to get the elections to Local Bodies and Panchayats cancelled in the State and they approached to Election Commission of India also in this regard. Moreover, to make the poll process a failure in the State, the BJP and Independent candidates, who joined the poll fray, were threatened by the terrorists as well as these parties, he added.
Accusing the two parties of speaking Hurriyat and separatists language, he said their leaders tried hard that the Local Bodies and Panchayat polls should not be held in the State so that the benefits of democracy don’t percolate to grass root level and common masses don’t get empowered in the State.
It is unfortunate that the two parties of Kashmir which claim to be mainstream parties don’t want that the village level elections are held in the State and common masses are empowered politically. “To defeat their designs, we decided to fully participate in the election process and make it a total success for the benefit of the common masses”, he added.
These two parties are not concerned for the people of the three regions of the State i.e Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, he said, adding there is no logic in boycotting the poll when the two regions of the State—Ladakh and Jammu are totally peaceful.
Madhav, while ridiculing the two parties demand that they wanted guarantee that the Article 35 A of the Indian Constitution will not be abrogated, he said it exposes the duplicity of these parties. If they were so sincere then why did they participate in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, (LADHC) Kargil elections recently, he added.
The BJP national general secretary said that his party was committed to hold the Local Bodies and Panchayat elections in the State as Prime Minister had made an announcement on Independence Day from ramparts of Red Fort. He said BJP is contesting the Municipal elections in Kashmir valley with full enthusiasm.
He wished good luck to the candidates of the party and said in South Kashmir where the party is showing good results, large number of candidates came forward to contest the elections on party ticket and this showed the willpower of BJP activists who are committed to strengthen democracy at grass root level in the trouble -torn State.
He said though the NC -PDP boycotted the elections officially, but they have fielded their proxy candidates and BJP welcomes this also as elections are the festival of democracy and every one should participate in them.
The BJP leader expressed confidence that his party will repeat the performance of 2014 Assembly poll in Local Bodies elections this year. “The people have rejected opposition parties and I came to know that they have not got the candidates to field in Local Bodies elections in Jammu”, he added.
He said from one place in Jammu, a BJP candidate has won unopposed as opposition parties did not get a candidate to field.
He said the Local Bodies elections will be followed by the three tier Panchayat elections in the State and “we appeal the Government that Panchayat and Local Bodies be given direct funds for their empowerment.
Maintaining that BJP had promised in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP) with PDP to implement 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, Madhav said but its coalition partner backtracked later which forced the BJP to pull out of the coalition.
He also did not spare the Congress and other opposition parties backing it and alleged that the bedridden party which came forward to fight elections should not be trusted by the people for its negative role in the national politics.
He said Congress and its allies have been rejected by the masses all over the country and people should not trust them here also. “In comparison to that BJP is wedded to the national cause and I am hopeful that the party will get full support of masses in this border State”, he added.
He said braving terror threat people filed nomination papers in Valley as they wanted that peace be restored and democratic process is strengthened fully. He also made an appeal to common people of the Valley to participate in election process enmass to make it a success.
In response to a question that BJP activists have resigned from the party and were contesting the Local Body and Municipal elections as Independents, he said BJP is a major party and it is natural that the activists have aspirations to contest the elections but it is not possible to fulfill the aspiration of every activist. However, the party leadership will meet those BJP activists who have filed papers as independents and try to convince them. “In case they will not agree we can’t force them as every one has a right to join election fray in a democracy”, he added.
Madhav said that 99.9 percent candidates fielded by party in Kashmir valley are locals and some are the displaced people from Kashmir.
In response to a question that opposition has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining total silence on Rafale deal, Madhav said that it is not necessary that PM will speak on every lie of Opposition. He said Opposition was telling a total lie on Rafale issue.
Madhav said Narendra Modi is the only PM who is always available to people otherwise the country had a PM for 10 years who was nothing except a ‘Moni Baba’.
The BJP leader said party’s stand on 35 A is clear as the matter is subjudice and court verdict is mandatory for every one.
On celebration of second anniversary of surgical strikes, the BJP leader said it was a powerful response of our forces to teach a lesson to mischief of forces across the border. On mutating of bodies of soldiers by Pakistan forces, he said this is the concern of all and it shows the barbaric act of Pakistan.
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