Shiv Sena slams BJP for starting election politics in Kashmir once again

Slamming the BJP for pulling out of the alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir, the Shiv Sena today said people are tired of the party's "conspiracies" and that it needs lessons in speaking the truth. It also accused the BJP of again starting "election politics" in the northern state.

It was the BJP's proposal to ally with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the first place and it had done all the running around to ensure it comes to power in Kashmir, the Sena said.

"The BJP has pulled out its mask and started election politics in Kashmir once again. After enjoying three years in power, the BJP says the government was not working, it could not work with the PDP, terrorism had increased and development of Leh, Ladakh was being ignored," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. Once again an environment is being created in Kashmir and a new mask is being put on.

"People are tired of these conspiracies now. Somebody should start giving them lessons in speaking the truth," it said. BJP president Amit Shah conveniently distanced the party from the mess the Kashmir valley was put in, the Marathi daily said, noting that the PDP was blamed for all the violence in the state.

"You enjoyed three years. However, when it was time to reap the fruits, you refused to take responsibility. It was the BJP's proposal to ally with the PDP for power and the subsequent running around was also done by the BJP," it said. Along with the deputy chief minister's post in Jammu and Kashmir, several important portfolios related to development were held by the BJP, the Sena pointed out.

If Leh, Ladakh were being ignored, why did the BJP not voice it while in power and why did the party not oppose the compensation given to the family of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani from the state exchequer, asked the Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

"The BJP on its own will allied with a party that is soft on terrorists but when it saw problems for itself, it distanced itself. None of its prime agendas like Article 370 were touched upon in three years but it started speaking about it after pulling out (of the alliance government)," it said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has now dropped a "bombshell" by saying that peace measures in the Kashmir Valley were adopted on the advice of BJP leaders and that it would be wrong to state the government was soft on terrorism, the Sena said. The three-year Jammu and Kashmir government collapsed last week with the BJP pulling out of its alliance with the PDP.

PTI