BJP today accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of playing to the gallery by raising the issue of Article 370 during the Pir Panjal tunnel inauguration ceremony in Banihal.
Insisting that the Chief Minister was factually incorrect in saying that BJP takes up the issue of Article 370 only close to elections, BJP national executive member and state chief spokesperson Jitendra Singh said, "It is the other way round."
"While BJP has consistently fought for abrogation of Article 370 for over 60 years, National Conference raises the bogey of so called autonomy only close to elections or when it is out of power," he alleged.
"BJP does not follow the policy of opportunism like NC, nor does it seek votes by resorting to separatist jargon," Singh said.
People of Jammu and Kashmir have now understood this "trick" and can no longer be fooled by such rhetoric, he said.
Insisting that Article 370 has done more harm than good to the people of the state, the BJP leader said, "We are ready for an open debate with facts, figures and evidence to prove that Article 370 has done more harm than good to the people of the state including those of Kashmir Valley."
"It has deprived the state of industrial investments, denied the youth of potential job opportunities and also denied protection or reservation to some sections of society," Singh contested.
He added that the Chief Minister's utterances in the past two days have only "exposed his insecurity" in the wake of his party's declining popularity.