New Delhi: The withdrawal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from its alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has earned mixed reactions.
While the BJP ministers said that the Centre took the decision in the interest of the nation, others “mourned the demise of democracy.”
Kavinder Gupta, who was the Deputy Chief Minister, said, “Governor wants BJP rule. The Centre took the decision looking at the state of Jammu and Kashmir and in the interest of the nation and national unity. They took few decisions which we didn’t agree with.”
In addition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “BJP did put in a lot of effort for the development of Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years. Local leadership, Deputy Chief Minister and state ministers were taken into confidence, in the interest of the country and Jammu and Kashmir, BJP took this step and will continue to do whatever is necessary for the benefit of the state.”
Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, “The opportunistic BJP-PDP alliance set fire to Jammu and Kashmir, killing many innocent people including our brave soldiers.”
“It cost India strategically and destroyed years of UPA’s hard work. The damage will continue under President’s rule. Incompetence, arrogance and hatred always fails,” he wrote on Twitter.
The opportunistic BJP-PDP alliance set fire to J&K, killing many innocent people including our brave soldiers. It cost India strategically & destroyed years of UPA’s hard work. The damage will continue under President’s rule. Incompetence, arrogance & hatred always fails.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 19, 2018
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a jibe at the BJP for pulling the plug on the alliance.
“Didn’t BJP tell us that demonetisation had broken the back of terrorism in Kashmir? Then what happened?” he tweeted.
Didn’t BJP tell us that demonetisation had broken the back of terrorism in Kashmir? Then what happened? https://t.co/S9nyOMocKl
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 19, 2018
Furthermore, Congress leaders Tom Vadakkan and Shashi Tharoor blamed the Centre and the ruling parties for the failure and the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This was waiting to happen. The truth is that BJP has failed. They gave the same reasons while forming the government and same reasons were given to exit it. The reality is they have messed Jammu and Kashmir up,” Vadakkan told ANI.
Tharoor called the alliance as an unnatural marriage with strange bed-fellows.
“I am surprised it did not happen sooner. It was not an alliance in natural interest, but a selfish, narrow interest of two parties. We should not play cheap politics with Kashmir,” he said.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray too criticised the BJP for their failure.
“It took you 3.5 years and sacrifice of around 600 soldiers to realise that you should take back your support in Jammu and Kashmir. When you know how that government functions, how could you even support them for so long?” he asked.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the decision was long-awaited.
“We don’t enjoy this. Nobody who supports a democratic system will enjoy this break-up. We are mourning the demise of democracy. I am not surprised by the decision but with the timing. I was expecting it later in the year. All of us have seen the deterioration of the state.”
The differences between the BJP and the PDP cropped up following the government’s decision to resume anti-terror operations in the state, which were suspended during Ramzan.
Following the end of the BJP-PDP alliance, Mehbooba Mufti resigned as the chief minister of the state.
The PDP had 28 MLAs in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, while the BJP had 25. (ANI)