Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan for political reasons and in order to gain votes. The People’s Democratic Party president said that the BJP rakes up issues related to Afghanistan and Pakistan but does not mention the Galwan valley clashes with neighboring China.
“They will not talk about China which has intruded into Ladakh because they do not get votes by talking about that country. If you want to frighten people, talk about Taliban, Afghanistan, and Pakistan and do something here and there and seek votes,” Mufti said while addressing a rally organised by the youth wing of her party in Srinagar. She added that the BJP will start cashing on the ‘God-given’ opportunity presented by the Taliban in Afghanistan to win votes as elections in several states draw nearer.
She also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and said that it failed to provide employment to youth and infrastructure to its citizens. She also claimed that people of the state were forced to dump bodies of their loved ones in the ‘sacred’ Ganga as they lacked resources to cremate them.
She also claimed that the BJP will use the Jammu and Kashmir issue to win elections. “They do not have anything to sell to the people and therefore they will use Pakistan and J-K to garner votes. They have destroyed J-K and are using sticks to oppress the people who are not allowed to speak openly for their rights,” Mufti said. She also alleged that the BJP will listen closely as to what she said in the rally and use it against her.
Mufti said that the BJP has put the nation and democracy in danger. “Jammu and Kashmir are in trouble and so is the entire country. They say Hindus are in danger but they are not in danger and in fact it is India and the democracy which are in danger because of them,” Mufti added. Mufti reached Jammu on Saturday after finishing a five-day tour of the Poonch and Rajouri districts. She faced a small protest by a group of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists. They attempted to stop her cavalcade near Dogra chowk, which police forces foiled.
Mehbooba also batted for self-rule of Jammu and Kashmir and said that the Union Territory is placed at a position that can be beneficial for trade. She claimed that if the Union Territory achieves self-rule then neighbouring countries can open ‘bank branches’ in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Jammu and Kashmir holds a strategic position and can be a gateway to central Asia if all the cross-border traditional routes are opened and all the neighbouring countries allowed to open bank branches which will generate employment,” Mufti said. She also said that the party is raising fuel prices to fill their ‘coffers’ and ‘intimidate and buy’ opposition MLAs.
