The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that the Union Territory’s statehood would be restored once the “selective killings” end, reported PTI.
BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir’s General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul said his party was concerned about these killings as its leaders have been targeted.
“In these selective killings, the BJP leaders are being killed here or the non-Kashmiris or non-Muslims, even some Muslims are also targeted,” he said. “We are against every selective killing and no religion allows it.”
Several BJP leaders and workers have been killed in the Union Territory in the recent past. Besides them, militants have killed 11 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in October. The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for most of them.
On Monday, Koul said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in Parliament that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will be restored and that the BJP stands by it.
The Centre had abrogated Article 370 that gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. The erstwhile state was also bifurcated into Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
“When the situation in J&K becomes better, when it [situation] will be normal, the selective killings will end, and common people will be able to move freely, the statehood will then be restored,” Koul told reporters in Bandipora district.
The BJP leader also said that the Delimitation Commission was due to submit its report before March 6, reported Greater Kashmir. He added that 90 seats will go to polls immediately after the commission files the report.
Reacting to the statement, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah asked if the people of the Union Territory would be punished by withholding statehood because of the failure of the Union government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
“They [the government] fail to protect people, they fail to manage the security situation and the rest of us are punished,” he tweeted. “What an idea sir ji!”
In October, Home Minister Shah had said that the Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will be restored after the delimitation exercise is conducted and elections are held.
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