‘Saffron Party can go to any extent for power’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 26: Senior All India Congress Committee leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Rajiv Shukla today cautioned the people against the “dangerous game-plan” of the BJP for encouraging anti-national and separatist leaders for the short-term political gains.
He cautioned the people of J&K about what he termed as a “dangerous gameplan” by the BJP.
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“BJP is playing with the fire in Jammu and Kashmir by “hobnobbing” with separatists and anti-national elements to defeat the Congress and the National Conference in the elections”, Shukla said while talking to media-persons here in Jammu today.
“The upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir are of utmost importance, with repercussions that will be felt across the entire country”, the Congress leader said.
“The people of J&K have an opportunity to send a strong and positive message through these elections” he stated.
“The BJP and the Central Government are engaged in a dangerous nexus with separatist elements in the region. Their actions appear to be aimed at demoralizing nationalist forces like the National Conference (NC) and the Congress,” the CWC Member cautioned.
“By supporting separatists to defeat the NC and Congress, the BJP is playing with the fire in Jammu and Kashmir. We caution the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the Centre’s true agenda is to weaken nationalist parties by aligning with anti-national elements”, he said.
“Engaging in political rivalry does not mean one should stoop to supporting separatists or other divisive forces. This betrayal exposes the BJP’s double standards. While they claim to stand for national unity, their actions here prove otherwise”, Shukla said.
Lambasting BJP for not granting Statehood to J&K, Shukla said, “Unfortunately, the promise of restoring Statehood has been betrayed by the current Government. The historic state of Jammu and Kashmir deserves Statehood without further delay, and this continued denial is an injustice to its people”.
“BJP’s so-called Hindu face has also been exposed, as seen in the Tirupati, Balaji Parasad controversy”, he said, adding, “The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have maintained a ‘criminal silence’ on this sensitive issue, revealing their disregard for the emotions and religious sentiments of the people”.
“In Andhra Pradesh, the previous regime had aligned itself with the BJP”, he said.
“The BJP shamelessly manipulates Hinduism for political gains. The silence of their leaders over the Prasad issue at Tirupati Balaji is a glaring example of their hypocrisy. The residents of Ayodhya have already taught them a lesson”, he asserted.
“The BJP is pushing Jammu and Kashmir deeper into crisis. The introduction of smart meters has caused an unprecedented hike in power tariffs, hitting the common people hard”, he said, adding, “Outsider contractors, many of whom are either affiliated with the BJP or hail from Gujarat and UP, are being awarded contracts, sidelining locals”.
Pointing toward a spike in terror activities in Jammu province, he asked” Where is the so-called normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir? Militancy is spreading into the Jammu region”.
“The corruption has crossed all limits, unemployment remains high, and development has come to a standstill. There is no significant industrial growth, particularly in Jammu”, he observed, adding. “The imposition of Toll Tax in the region is another example of how the BJP is exploiting the people. The Congress, in contrast, has always ensured that substantial funds were allocated for the development of Jammu and Kashmir during its tenure”.
“As we head into the final phases of the elections, we are receiving encouraging feedback from the ground. I am confident that the National Conference-Congress alliance will form the next Government in Jammu and Kashmir, and we will restore dignity to this historic State”, Shukla added.