Create congenial atmosphere to hold election in J&K, Congress to centre
New Delhi, June 20: A day after BJP ended its alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir and the state came under Governor's rule, Congress on Wednesday accused both parties of "betraying" the people's aspirations in the lust of power and demanded the Central government ensure a "congenial atmosphere" for conduct of fresh elections.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "At the moment there is Governor's rule. By when will the centre and Governor create an atmosphere and ensure that the security scenario will change and law and order is maintained so that we can have elections.
"We don't want to have elections like we had during (Srinagar) Lok Sabha bypoll, where the poll percentage was 7 per cent."
"We would definitely like to have a government representing the people of the state. The Governor and the government of India must create a congenial atmosphere for the elections," he said to a query about early elections in the state.
Azad also saod the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has betraying the people of Jammu and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of betraying the people of Kashmir by "forging an unethical alliance" in the state while the BJP central leadership has "betrayed the people of the country".
Also accusing the BJP of setting the state on "a fire of anarchy and radicalization" in its three years coalition rule with PDP, the Congress sought to know from the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to what plans they had for bringing normalcy and peace back to the state.
"The BJP, in its pursuit of power and political opportunism, in the past three years, disrupted the ongoing constructive engagement with the people of the state and has imperiled the security situation, setting the state of Jammu and Kashmir on a fire of anarchy, radicalization, malgovernance and corruption," Azad and party colleague Ambika Soni said in a statement after a meeting of party's core group on Jammu and Kashmir held at the behest of party President Rahul Gandhi.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, P. Chidambaram and Karan Singh also attended the meeting.
The Congress said that both BJP and PDP share "equal blame" for undoing all the progress towards normalcy achieved during the United Progressive Alliance government.
Slamming the Modi government's "directionless, agenda-less and clueless policy", the Congress asked: "How does Prime Minister Modi propose to ensure peace and normalcy in the state?"
It also sought to know the economic roadmap for inclusion and progress for the state's people, proposals to prevent the radicalization of youth as well how the Modi government proposes to engage with various sections of the state "in order to win their hearts and minds".
"We caution the Modi government to correct its flawed approach and work for rebuilding the trust and restoration of normalcy in the state," it said.
Noting BJP leaders and ministers have been citing national interest as a reason for breaking the alliance, Azad said he thanked them for "accepting this that they were working against national interest in the last three years".
Congress' state chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir said: "It was expected from the day the alliance was formed that it would break. People of the state did not accept this alliance. Both the parties PDP and BJP betrayed their own voters by this alliance. Hence, it led to political alienation which it was increasing.
"As an opposition, we supported their Agenda of Alliance. But it was also a false promise. Modi's promise of Rs 80,000 crore to the state was not a 'package' but it was 'packaging'. The alliance was broken keeping 2019 election in mind."
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J&K polls: Amit Shah arrives in Jammu ahead of Saturday's hectic campaigning
Jammu (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu on Friday night ahead of the hectic day-long campaigning on Saturday during which he will address five public rallies in three districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah arrived here from Delhi and drove straight to the State Guest house, a senior BJP leader said.
Shah will fly to Poonch early tomorrow morning and address the first of four rallies in Mendhar followed by Surankote in Poonch district, he added.
Shah is scheduled to address rallies in Thanamandi and Rajouri followed by Akhnoor in Jammu.
He is also expected to hold a rally in the Nowshera constituency in support of Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Sunday.
