‘More than happy’ with Governor Malik’s regime, BJP wants elections after nomads return to plains

JAMMU: ‘Happy and comfortable’ with Governor Satya Pal Malik’s regime, the Bhartiya Janta Party wants the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir further delayed.

Two top leaders of the BJP today indicated party’s mind on the assembly elections which the regional parties like National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party want to be held immediately.

People of Jammu and Kashmir were "more happy" with the Governor rule in the state as Satya Pal Malik was running a "transparent, accountable and justice" delivering government in the state, BJP state president Ravinder Raina said today.

Raina said that Governor was doing a big job by running a transparent government for the people of the state. He said that India is a democratic country and always believe in democratic set up and all hope an early formation of popular government in J&K. He was speaking to a newswire in Humachal Paradesh.

Raina claimed that the people of J&K "by and large are happy" with the Governor’s rule in the state because the way Governor S P Malik has worked during the last one year is laudable. He said that there were so many long pending issues left unattended and unaddressed even by the elected governments for the last 60 years but the Governor has taken all these matters with all his concentration and dedication and solved these issues in a time bound manner.

The BJP leader said that few days back in the recruitment in J & K Bank there were some hurdles and problems and soon after Governor came to know he removed the hurdles and simplified all the system. He said that Governor was giving justice to people of all the three regions in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladkh.
Regarding the heinous crime of rape of a three-year-old girl child at Bandipora on May 9, which has rocked the Kashmir valley, Raina said that it is unfortunate, unbelievable and shocking incident and a blot on the face humanity and demanded capital punishment for the alleged accused as it is an unpardonable crime committed. He said that those who were involved in giving a minor fake certificate to the accused be brought to book and punished.

Meanwhile, party’s general secretary Ashok Kaul said, “we are not in favour of deferring or delaying assembly elections. Had assembly polls been held together with Parliamentary elections, it will have favoured our party”.


“However, some parties demand holding of assembly elections immediately is not possible because Gujjar and Bakerwal, which are about 30 lakh voters are in migration phase these days. We can’t deprive them of their voting rights. So once they return back from grazing their stock from hills, assembly polls can be held,” Koul said.

State based political parties including Congress and NC have demanded that assembly elections should be held in the state after Parliamentary polls were conducted recently.

Over the prevailing security situation in the Valley, Koul said that out of 10 districts of Kashmir “only 3 districts are witnessing violative situation.”
“In rest of the districts of Kashmir, situation has improved and the centre government will deal with the situation to bring peace in these three districts,” he said.

On the withdrawal of his security on protest, the BJP leader said that he surrendered his security to protest the “wrong information provided by police to Governor.”

“Some officials in Police had given wrong information to Governor about the security of slain BJP member Gul Mir of Anantnag. I wrote to the governor to clarify him about the security of late Mir. Governor has assured that security will be provided to all those political activists after proper verification by police,” he said.

Asked that opposition parties accuse BJP of polarising voters and threatening minorities, he said that Congress is “polarising voters in the country and did recently in Jammu and Kashmir Parliamentary polls”.

“Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir and Congress in the country are playing political games to create insecure atmosphere among them and then blame BJP. In recent Parliamentary polls, all regional parties including Congress, PDP and NC polarised votes against us, but still people voted for Modi and BJP,” he said.