BJP promoted militancy in Valley: Azad

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/19/2017 12:57:29 AM

SRINAGAR, Sep 18: Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the BJP came to power by pitching militancy in the state against the rest of the country.
Azad, who is a member of the Congress’ policy planning group on Jammu and Kashmir led by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for growing incidents of violence in the state.
“One soldier was beheaded during the UPA government in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists and the BJP exploited the issue to the hilt against the Congress.
“Such incidents have also taken place during Modi government and they do not talk about it now,” Azad said.
He was speaking to the media after the Congress group arrived in Srinagar to interact with “like-minded” people to find the way forward to end violence in the state. Asked whether the Congress would engage in talks with separatist Hurriyat leaders, Azad said: “I have seen the list of 45 political parties and other groups we will be meeting here, but I did not find Hurriyat in that list.”
He, however, put the ball in the government’s court, saying Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been speaking of a dialogue with all stakeholders to solve the Kashmir problem.
“But she is shying away from naming who these stakeholders are,” he said.
The Congress leaders are meeting the delegations at the Hari Niwas guest house in the high security Gupkar Road area of Srinagar.
Clarifying that they have not come to J&K just for the issue of Section 35A, dealing with the permanent residents of the state and their citizenship rights, Azad said the group was formed well before that keeping in view the situation in the state.
Asserting that the situation during the Congress rule was much better, Azad said there were a number of young people who have suffered serious injuries including loss of sight in the violence.
Before coming to the Kashmir valley, the members of the committee had gone to Jammu where they interacted with a large number of people and met delegations.
“We had 35 meetings in Jammu and about 45 to 50 in Kashmir and now we are going to Ladakh. We have come to hear the people, what they want to say.”
The Congress on Saturday termed the Narendra Modi-led central government a “fuel-loot sarkar” and demanded withdrawal of the excise duties on petrol and diesel.
“Burning holes in the pocket of common people have become benchmark of governance for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, hitting out at Tourism Minister KJ Alphons’ remark on petrol and diesel prices.
“Arrogance of BJP has crossed all proportions when Tourism Minister KJ Alphons said if you have a scooter, motorcycle or a small car, then you can afford to pay the high prices of petrol and diesel,” he added.
Surjewala further said: “Looting people by the BJP by collecting excise duties of Rs 2 lakh 50 thousand crore has become the new normal.
“No wonder BJP is called the fuel-loot sarkar as crude oil prices plummet, the petrol and diesel prices skyrocket and that is the new reality of New India,” he added.
“We demand that BJP forthwith withdraws the 400 per cent and 135 per cent excise that they have imposed on diesel and petrol and give relief to common man against the spiralling prices of petrol and diesel,” the Congress spokesperson added.

 

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