By IANS,
New Delhi: The “explosive” situation in the Kashmir Valley is the result of the “politics of competitive communalism” between the National Conference and the opposition PDP and the lack of timely action by the central government, which was in turn being exploited by Pakistan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Thursday.
The BJP demanded that the central government identify the role of Pakistani agencies “in sponsoring and financing these protests through separatists”.
In a statement, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar equated the present situation in the Valley to that of the Hazratbal controversy in 1963-64 when massive protests broke out over the disappearance of a hair believed to be of Prophet Mohammad kept in the shrine, and “the military had to play a role then and it has to play a role now as well”.
He said the government must ensure law and order at any cost in the valley and keep tight vigil during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which the separatists were trying to target in order to create tension.
“The tense situation is the result of the politics of competitive communalism resorted to by both the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) and National Conference, and no timely action from the central government. Separatists got encouragement out of such politics and Pakistan exploited it to the hilt,” Javadekar said.
He also alleged that when separatists devised stone-pelting as an instrument of organized and orchestrated protest, the government failed to curb the trend. And added that instead of acting tough against the professional stone pelters, the government declared a rehabilitation package for such “surrendered stone pelters”.
He accused the government of demoralising the security forces. His statement said: “The government allowed the situation to drift further. It booked CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel for the death of a youth in the protest on the charges of murder… The senior minister of Omar Abdulla government, Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar, went ahead with defaming and casting aspersions on CRPF. All this demoralized the security forces.”
The BJP demanded that the government must take all parties into confidence about its plans to defuse the situation in the valley.
Indefinite curfew has been imposed in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley, enforced with the army’s assistance, following violent protests after the deaths of four people two days ago.