Opposition planned Kashmir conclave an attempt to destabilise state government: BJP

SRINAGAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party has said the proposed Kashmir conclave of opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir is an attempt to defame and destabilise the PDP-BJP government in the state. BJP’s national vice president and in-charge of J&K Avinash Rai Khanna said the Congress-led opposition has aggravated the situation in Kashmir and is now showing fake seriousness to deceive the nation.

The Congress recently formed a Kashmir policy planning group, under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which held a meeting in Delhi last Saturday to discuss the situation in Kashmir. The opposition led by Congress is planning a meeting of all parties in the Valley in June to deliberate on the volatile situation prevailing in the state.

“They ruled the country including J&K for 70 years. Why couldn’t they do anything? If they had anything in mind, they got enough time to implement that,” Khanna told ET. According to the BJP, the proposed conclave participants have lost credibility on the ground. The opposition, Khanna said, just wants to remain in news and exploit the situation in Kashmir for this purpose. “If they have any proposal, they should tell us. There are some people in these groups who say one thing in Kashmir, another thing in Jammu and something completely different in Delhi,” Khanna said.


The BJP general secretary and influential policy maker Ashok Koul, said the recent statements of the opposition have fanned trouble in Kashmir, belying their claims of sincerity. “Unfortunately, opposition parties here are involved in wrongdoings.

This is why they are doing this conclave here. They will lament against the government and blame them for not resolving the issues. This is complete nonsense and would just be an effort to defame the government,” Koul said.

The Kashmir conclave, if it happens, he said, cannot build any pressure on the government, as their aim is not to restore peace in Kashmir. “The opposition never made a single appeal to youngsters to stop pelting stones and say it was wrong. On the contrary they are blaming the government for not being able to handle it,” Koul said.

Congress state president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, however, said the NDA and PDP-BJP governments were answerable before people to explain their strategy, policy and initiatives vis-a-vis J&K.