BJP tends to impose unwanted elections on people in Kashmir in an atmosphere of killings and cordons but surprisingly claims that priority of the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the restoration of law and order in Jammu & Kashmir. A popular government is not in place but BJP sees space for a massive electoral exercise proposed to reconstitute panchayats and municipal bodies in the state. Surprisingly the BJP’s National General Secretary Ram Madhav accuses two largest regional political parties of showing political opportunism by announcing boycott to Panchayat and municipal elections in the state and questions the boycott call of National Conference and PDP over their participation in Hill Development Council elections. Ram Madhav may have the right to claim to be one of the most experienced politicians of the country but his accusation over participation in Kargil Hill Development Council elections against National Conference and PDP shows his capacity of assessing the ground situation. Before pointing a finger of accusation on National Conference and PDP over their participation in Kargil Hill Development Council elections Ram Mahav should have understood the fact that holding local elections in a tiny district like Kargil in a peaceful atmosphere is quite a normal job for the district administration there but holding local elections in ten districts of Kashmir valley in the present hostile political atmosphere and a vulnerable security scenario is almost an unsurmountable task. So Kargil is not Kashmir and legal challenge to article 35 A in the supreme court of the country is not the core concern of the people of Kargil only but the people of whole Jammu & Kashmir state and this time entire world knows that people of Jammu & Kashmir have shown unprecedented unity against legal challenge to article 35 A.
Talking about the restoration of law and order without conceding the demand for a counter affidavit on article 35 A is a pipe dream of BJP which will never come true
Above all Ram Madhav has absolutely no point to blame either National Conference or PDP for the prevailing vulnerable political scenario of Kashmir valley as the overt and covert support of his own party (BJP ) to petitioners challenging constitutional validity of article 35 A is the root cause of the law and order mess in Kashmir which has forced both National Conference and PDP to announce boycott to proposed panchayat and municipal elections in the state. Instead of advising the Prime Minister to move a counter affidavit to defend article 35 A in the supreme court which would restore calm in Kashmir the BJP National General Secretary tends to says “ Elections First, proceedings on Article 35 A later”. The only demand of National Conference and PDP is central government’s counter affidavit and obviously the demand is neither extra constitutional nor anti-national. Talking about the restoration of law and order without conceding the demand for a counter affidavit on article 35 A is a pipe dream of BJP which will never come true. To clear the decks for participation of National Conference and PDP better it would be for Ram Madhav to advise Prime Minister Narendra Modi to file a counter affidavit to defend article 35 A in the supreme court instead of generating an anti-Kashmiri euphoria over the issue ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the country.
