‘Migrants not non locals’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 3: BJP today took a strong dig at National Conference (NC) and accused it of resorting to false propaganda to provoke and mislead the electorate in Kashmir Valley.
“Unable to digest the victory of BJP candidates in the ongoing Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections, NC is resorting to false propaganda to provoke and mislead the electorate”, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, State spokesperson of BJP told reporters here, today along with spokesperson, Balbir Ram Rattan.
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Criticising the party leadership for targeting the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Brig Gupta said that NC has not changed its mind set about the displaced Pandits who were forced to leave the Valley during 1989 when the Government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah failed to look after their security. This miniscule minority of Valley was under constant danger due to threats from the extremists. Living in exile in camps in Jammu and other parts of country, they were dubbed as “migrants.” Today, when the Kashmiri Pandits are exercising their democratic right and contesting ULB elections, NC has unleashed a false propaganda that BJP is fielding only migrant candidates and ignoring the locals which is far from truth.
Brig Gupta while contesting the NC claim said by terming the migrants as non locals NC is toeing the agenda of separatists and terrorists who were responsible for the mass exodus of minority Pandits. He reminded NC that Pandits are indigenous people of Valley and have the equal rights which the majority community residing there has.
Brig Gupta however clarified that BJP has fielded only 36 migrant candidates while rest are from majority community of Kashmir. True to its style of politics, NC is trying to create a communal divide by twisting the facts.
Exposing the NC’s lie, Brig Gupta clarified that BJP was the first political party to welcome the elections and had announced that it would field candidates in all constituencies. The fact is that NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah had too announced his party’s participation in the elections but sensing imminent defeat threw in the towel without contesting by announcing boycott of the elections.
NC is also questioning the relevance of the elections on the plea that large number of candidates have won unopposed or uncontested. Brig Gupta drew the attention of the media persons to 1951 Constituent Assembly elections conducted by NC under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah who wanted to make J&K “a single party State.” “Sheikh blatantly misused power and authority to ensure that no Praja Parishad candidate was allowed to contest by disqualifying and rejecting their papers to avoid contest and won all 75 seats uncontested, he added.
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