The fall of the PDP-BJP government has not ended the unending unrest in Kashmir valley as the government forces resumed their operations against militants immediately after Eid-Ul-Fitr and BJP withdrew its support to Mebooba government in the aftermath of the killing of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari. Following the imposition of Governor’s rule the central government has brought in people of its own choices on key positions in the state administration. A non J&K cadre IAS officer is now heading the civil administration as Chief Secretary of the state and the responsibilities of law & order have been assigned to a junior ADGP ranked IPS officer who is known for carrying out what former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti calls “muscular policy”. Ironically the PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti won’t find any takers for her clichéd phrases “muscular policy” and “enemy territory” she mouthed to convey her disagreement with the central government’s decision to resume anti-militancy operations two days before the fall of PDP-BJP government in the state. The withdrawal of PDP-BJP government and as well as the resumption of operations against militants in Kashmir have been received with contempt by people of all shades in the state as the larger public opinion on both the withdrawal of support to Mehbooba government and as well as the resumption of anti-militancy operations is that the Modi government has taken the extreme positions keeping in view the BJP’s poll strategy for 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Till the Mehbooba was holding the reigns of powers in the state the Modi government would take all lame excuses for the continuing unrest in Kashmir but from now onwards Modi government can’t find any excuse for its failures in restoring normalcy in the state particularly after it relieved former Director General BSF Vijay Kumar of his responsibilities in the Prime Minister’s office and appointed him as advisor to governor holding the charge of key home department besides the portfolios of some other departments.
The intents of the Modi government to use the situation in Kashmir a pawn for the 2019 assembly elections for BJP were very clear.
Interestingly the majority of the eye watchers and civil society members in rest of India also question Modi government’s denials to share the responsibility of ousted Mehbooba regime’s failure in retorting peace and order in Jammu & Kashmir. So people both within and outside Jammu & Kashmir seem to have comprehended the gravity of the situation and role of the Modi government in the conduct of government forces against the militants during last three years of PDP-BJP coalition rule in the state. Though people of all shades in Jammu & Kashmir were surprised by the BJP’s pronouncement of pull out from the Mehbooba government but it is also a fact that they were expecting announced somewhere towards the end of the year in November or December. So the intents of the Modi government to use the situation in Kashmir a pawn for the 2019 assembly elections for BJP were very clear. Neither in Jammu the key constituency of BJP in Jammu & Kashmir nor in rest of India the people can’t be swayed away by Prime Minister Modi’s phrases ‘infiltration will be stopped, militancy will be stamped out, secessionists will be punished, peace will return to the state, and J&K will remain an integral part of India’.
