EC to take final call on J&K Assembly elections: Jitendra Singh

Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh Friday said BJP was ready for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the final decision on the matter will be taken by the Elections Commission after considering security related issues.

Participating in the debate on a Resolution seeking LokSabha’s approval to extend president’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir for anothersix months, Singh said the BJP is a party with difference and unlike otherparties, BJP workers remain active throughout the year.

   

“Some political parties accuse the BJP that it does not wantassembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir…We respect the Election Commissionand CBI. It was the decision of the EC to not conduct assembly elections now inJammu and Kashmir due to security related issues,” he said.

The Minister further pointed out that BJP cadres workthroughout the year, unlike other parties, in which workers get active onlyduring elections time.

He said that those parties which did not participate in thePanchayat and Municipal eletions in Jammu and Kashmir are talking aboutautomony of the state.

Singh also opined that if India’s first Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru had allowed Vallabhai Patel to handle the Jammu and Kashmirsituation, the history of the state would have been different.

“Nehru thought that he knew Jammu and Kashmir better thanPatel….Otherwise the history of Jammu and Kashmir would have been different,”he said.

Singh also accused leaders of the National Conference (NC)of political opportunism.

Claiming that militancy was on its way out, Singh said that”we are going through the last phase of militancy in Kashmir. You note this andafter few months we will again deliberate on this.

“I am making a serious allegation before I conclude and Ihave no hesitation to do so. There is a vested interest in Kashmir in thecontinuation of militancy,” he said.

Stating that BJP has invested heavily in Kashmir, he saidthat the only silver lining in the state is the youth of Kashmir.

“The youth of Kashmir has moved on…We (BJP) have investedheavily in Kashmir,” he stessed.

“Those who seek the aid of terrorism for political gains areliable to be consumed by the same terrorist,” he warned.

Also participating in he debate Poonam Mahajan (BJP) said thatIndia’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru committed historical blunder bytaking Kashmir issue to the United Nations.

Mahajan further said that for the first time in recentmemory there was no protest or curfew when Home Minister Amit Shah visited Kashmirtwo days ago.

“Kashmiri Pundits are getting respect under Modigovernment… Due to previous government’s appeasement policy, the youth of thecountry was not able to connect themselves to India,” she said.

Recalling that Modi as the organisation secretary of BJP hadhoisted the Indian flag at Lal Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Mahajan said,”Kashmir willbe heaven only under the Modi government.”

Rahul Shewale (Shiv Sena) said Congress doesn’t want tosolve the problem of Kashmir.Danish Ali (BSP) said that “in order to expandour political base we are deviating from the real issues of Jammu and Kashmir.”

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