Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 15: Strongly criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership Panun Kashmir (PK) accused the party of using the issue of exodus of Kashmiri Hindus to blame their opponents and gain Hindu votes across India.
The PK Chairman Dr Ajay Chrungoo alleged that the BJP-led Centre Government has neglected the displaced community in the past 10 years altogether.
He added that despite the neutralisation of Article 370 and the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, the BJP Government has shown indifference and bias towards Kashmiri Pandits and leaving them to fend for themselves.
“The BJP leadership has used Kashmiri Hindu religious cleansing to blame its opponents and to garner Hindu votes in the rest of India,” Ajay Chrungoo alleged.
He also accused the party of treating “Kashmiri Pandits as second class citizens”.
Chrungoo emphasised that the community members are not aligned with any political party and will pursue their freedom independently.
“Everybody should know that our community members are not stooges of any political party and will pursue their political freedom and choice as they wish. Like the Congress, the BJP has failed both Kashmiri Pandits and the nation in Jammu and Kashmir,” Chrungoo said.
He further said that as terrorist and separatist forces gain strength in Kashmir and Jammu, it is crucial for the Government to stand with the people and protect their rights.
PK vowed to continue the struggle until a separate Union Territory is established for the permanent rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus in Valley, he said.
Chrungoo slammed the BJP Government for its alleged bias and disrespect towards the community’s issues.
“The BJP’s hostile political and ideological stance against Nehruvian policies seems to have translated into anti-Kashmiri Pandit bias among the party’s top leadership over the years,” Chrungoo said.
He said the party has failed to do anything for the community and instead “treats the issues of the community with disdain, absolute disrespect and dismissiveness”.
He also condemned the Government for failing to increase sustenance allowances for Kashmir Pandits over the past decade, despite the rising cost of living.
“A small fraction of the displaced population from Kashmir receives cash relief, contrary to the political perception created by the BJP across India. They have not seen even a cosmetic increase during BJP rule in New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir despite steep price rise during this period on almost all items of day to day survival,” the Chrungoo said.
He alleged that the BJP committed a grave crime against humanity by denying that the community suffered a genocide. He said during BJP rule Kashmiri Hindu employees religious cleansing happened twice and still they claim situation is normal. Raj Nath Raina, P L Koul Budgami and Pran Koul senior activists of PK were present in the press conference.
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