J&K Crisis: Congress poses seven questions to Prime Minister Modi

The Congress party has fired fresh salvos at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the political turmoil within Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that the “opportunistic alliance” has plunged the state into an abyss of darkness.

Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of J&K Ghulam Nabi Azad in a press conference in New Delhi said that the onus of restoring normalcy in the state lies on the Modi government. “We want elections but do not want a situation where only 7% votes are polled as it happened during Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll,” Azad remarked, flanked by Congress MP Ambika Soni and J&K Congress chief GA Mir.

Coming down heavily on Prime Minister Modi, Azad said, “Narendra Modi too had made Kashmir an election issue during Lok Sabha elections and proimised to mitigiate militancy from the region. But after three and half years where does the Kashmir stand? Kashmiriyat has been destroyed, democracy damaged and humanity badly defeated.”

Maintaining that the coalition was doomed to fail as it was formed on “mutual political opportunism and shared lust of power”, Azad said, “PDP got overwhelming mandate in Valley after abusing BJP and the BJP won majority of seats in Jammu by abusing PDP. Their coming together in 2015 itself will be recorded in the history as a saga of biggest political betrayal with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

“Since May 26, 2014, during Modi Government, in the last 48 months, 379 jawans have been martyred and 239 civilians have died in Jammu and Kashmir alone. During last 48 months of Congress government 139 jawans martyred and 78 civilians killed. In past 48 months, there have been 3,000 Ceasefire Violations’ by Pakistan at Line of Control and the International Border as compared to 563 ceasefire violations during last 48 months of Congress government,” said Azad, stressing how Jammu and Kashmir immensely benefitted from relative peace during Congress-UPA government.

He also expressed worrying over the growing trend of highly educated youths in Valley getting radicalised and joining militant ranks. Asserting that the Government of India and the BJP in particular can’t run away from the responsibility after “setting the state on fire”, Azad asked following seven questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recalling how he would love to do the same in run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections:

1. How does Prime Minister, Modi propose to ensure peace and normalcy in the state?
2. When will the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and terror attacks on our soil stop?
3. What is the economic roadmap for inclusion and progress for the people of J&K?
4. How does the Central Government propose to prevent the radicalization of Jammu and Kashmir’s youth?
5. What are the plans for employment creation and promotion of tourism in the state of Jammu and Kashmir?
6. How does the Modi government propose to engage with various sections of the state in order to win their hearts and minds?
7. How does it plan to ensure peace and development in all the three regions of the state—Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh?

“Had all those soldiers who are regularly getting killed in the state in large numbers, been from Jammu and Kashmir, BJP wouldn’t have ended the alliance. Since the bodies of soldiers were going back homes in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other parts of the country, BJP had no option but to call it a day ahead of Lok Sabha elections next year,” said GA Mir, hoping that law and order situation would improve in the state under Governor’s rule.