SRINAGAR: Sensing the changed scenario after the abrogation of Article 370, political parties in Kashmir are caught in one-upmanship in raking up the past and present connections of their rivals with the BJP.
As recent as 2019, the PDP and the National Conference were the main players in the Valley. Post abrogation of Article 370, J&K Apni Party of former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari and former minister Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference have gained ground in Kashmir.
And now with the possibility of elections in mid-2022 after the completion of delimitation exercise, the old parties are trying to portray the two new entrants as “King’s Parties” or “BJP’s B Team”.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is very critical of Article 370 revocation, recently said BJP is creating proxy parties by dividing the regional parties in J&K.
Mufti on Thursday released the first issue of the party's internal newsletter 'Speak Up'.
It was released at Mehbooba's residence in the presence of senior PDP leaders Naeem Akhtar, Abdul Rehman Veeri and Ghulam Nabi Lone.
The newsletter seeks to reach out to the PDP cadre about the party's stand on the current situation and political issues of Jammu and Kashmir.
"A little over two years have passed since Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status. Since then, every decision taken by the current government has been with the sole aim of collective punishment and humiliation of Kashmiris," the editorial of the newsletter read.
"Our economy lies in tatters, the security situation is grim and the pervasive feeling of disquiet, and anger simmers," it read.
In ordinary circumstances, there would have been an outrage but these are no ordinary times, the editorial read.
"Dissent has been criminalised. Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into an open air prison. This period has also been marked by a steep decline in press freedom and journalists have been threatened with anti-terrorist laws," it added.
The editorial said that one is not punished for breaking the law but stating the inconvenient truth.
"It is, therefore, imperative that we continue raising our voice," it read.
Reacting to Mehbooba’s allegations, Bukhari said the PDP’s emergence in 1999 was also tagged by many as the proxy and creation of BJP leader LK Advani.
“The NC also enjoyed power with BJP from 1999 and PDP had an alliance with BJP post 2014 assembly polls. They are the actual B-team of BJP,’’ he added
In Jammu, NC vice-president Omar Abdullah blamed the PDP for the present situation as his rival had aligned with BJP in 2014.
“We had warned PDP patron late Mufti Sayeed of the repercussions of aligning with BJP. We had also offered unconditional support to him but he joined hands with BJP and people of J&K have paid a heavy price for PDP-BJP alliance,” he said.
Reacting to Omar’s statement, former minister and Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone said the NC was the first political party from J&K to align with the saffron party.
He said people remember how announcements for imposition and relaxation of curfew were made by the Home Secretary during the 2010 agitation in the Valley when he was in power.
‘‘Both NC and PDP are backed by the establishment.’’
Asserting that there should be no political interference in the delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Thursday said some people do not want assembly polls to be held in the Union Territory.
"I know that some people do not want elections to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Let us see how long they will be successful in their conspiracies", he told reporters in Ramban.
Abdullah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have talked about the elections in J&K.
"The prime minister talked about elections on August 15. In a meeting later in Delhi, Prime minister talked about removal of 'Dil say Doori aur Delhi say Doori'. We want "Dil say Dori and Delhi say Dori' to lessen. Recently, the home minister repeated that elections would be held after delimitation," he said.
Replying to another question about delimitation, Abdullah said that regions have separate demands over that and "we want that there should no political interference."
"The 2011 census data driven delimitation should take place", he said.
He claimed that there are grievances of people that BJP is interfering in the delimitation process.
"They want maps of assembly constituencies to redrawn in such a way that benefits them most politically", he said.
Earlier speaking to public meeting, Abdullah said former chief ministers Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah did not approve gun culture and counselled the youth not to take to guns as it would only mean destruction.
In that speech, he told the youth of Kashmir that if you don't like Farooq Abdullah. Just tell him, he will withdraw. You bring anyone (to power here). But please don't pick up a gun. Picking up gun would only mean destruction", he said.
He pointed towards Sheikh Abdullah, one of the tallest leader of Jammu and Kashmir, who led the National Conference, and said "in history, it is recorded that there was a conference in Libya."
A "big Chinese leader" told Sheikh that they will provide guns and "you snatch Kashmir", he said The leader of Libya took the Sheikh Abdullah to a graveyard in Tripoli, and pointed to the grave of his son and said his son became a victim of these guns, Omar Abdullah said.
"If a father wishes his son to sleep forever in the grave in Kashmir, then use guns. Sheri-Kashmir (Sheikh Abdullah) during his lifetime never approved gun culture and did not approve that entry of guns in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Abdullah said that when talks happen of fighting a constitutional battle in the Supreme Court, BJP leaders say "we speak the language of Pakistan".
"These days, it is very easy for BJP leaders to say this as they see a Pakistani in every Muslim, especially Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir,'' he added.
Maintaining that he does not know what they will have to do to prove they are not with Pakistan, Omar Abdullah said they established a relationship with India in 1947 and since then have made sacrifices with their own blood to keep this relationship.
"What wrong are we saying if we ask for protecting the promises given to Jammu and Kashmir and which were given a constitutional shape under Article 370 so as to maintain that relationship?" he asked.
Abdullah said that they do not ask for anything expect that they do justice with them.
(With PTI Inputs)