BJP has broken off its alliance with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir in the larger interest of the safety and security of the nation. The PDP government has not been able to ensure peace, security or development in the state, said the BJP.
Following this, the chief minister of the state, Mehbooba Mufti, has submitted her resignation to Governor NN Vohra.
“We have tried to run the government on the basis of the common minimum program but there has been an increase in terrorism and violence in the valley, rise in radicalisation, and threat to the fundamental rights of citizen including the right to life and freedom of speech. Journalist Shujat Bukhari was killed in broad daylight in Srinagar city. It is under threat,” said Ram Madhav, BJP’s J&K chief. All BJP ministers have tendered their resignation.
The break-up of the alliance that came into power after the J&K Assembly election of 2014 which saw the PDP emerging as the biggest party with 28 seats and the BJP emerging as the second-biggest with 25 seats comes at a time when faultlines had been apparent for at least a few months.
“Once the state is under Governor’s Rule and the situation is under control, we can take the political process forward,” he said.
It was getting very difficult to work in with the PDP government, he said. The people running the government (Mehbooba Mufti) have been unsuccessful in improving the situation in Kashmir and there have been problems in running development projects in the Jammu or Ladakh. A discrimination has been felt towards the BJP ministers in the state.
He also said that the though a ceasefire was announced by the government, the situation did not improve. The extremist groups and the terrorist did not take advantage of it.
The alliance was formed three years ago when the assembly elections resulted in a fractured mandate. BJP had only twin objectives peace in Kashmir and encouraging fast development in – Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir valley, he said addressing media persons. The Central government has helped the state proactively. A Rs 80,000 crore development program has been launched in the state.
Meanwhile, Congress Party rejected any possibility of stitching an alliance with the PDP.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that the BJP ended the alliance with PDP after exacerbating the condition of the Valley.
“Whatever has happened is good. People of Jammu and Kashmir will get some relief. They (BJP) ruined Kashmir and have now pulled out, a maximum number of civilian and army men died during these three years,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena, who is in alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra, welcomed the move.
“This alliance was anti-national and unnatural. Our party chief (Uddhav Thackeray) had said this alliance would not work out. Had they continued with it, they would have had to answer in the 2019 Lok Sabha election,” said Shiv Sena leader, Sanjay Raut.
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