The BJP on Wednesday sought to allay the notion that Islam would be under threat in Jammu & Kashmir if the right-wing party reaches the echelons of power. They party that has embarked on ‘Mission 44 plus’, to gain the magical number of seats in the 87-member J&K Assembly, asked the Kashmiri Muslims to vote en masse for the BJP candidates.
“Kashmiris need to vote en masse for the BJP. This contention is wrong that the BJP is a communal party. Kashmir is a land of Sufi saints. Islam will grow better during our regime,” State vice-president and Kashmir in-charge Ramesh Arora told reporters here.
He said the State has no religion per se and the BJP respects all faiths and religions and pledges for religious freedom guaranteed in the Constitution.
He said the BJP would not pose any threat to Kashmiriyat. Arora's reaction came to JKPCC president Saifuddin Soz's accusation that BJP was polarising voters on religious lines. He defended the arrival of RSS workers to campaign for the BJP candidates. "We can't stop anybody to campaign in favour of our party", Arora said adding that not only RSS workers but Muslim clerics were also campaigning for the BJP in J& K.
Soz has accused that BJP was using every method in their book to polarise voters on religious lines. "Soz has gone out of his mind for issuing statements that BJP wants to divide Shia and Sunni voters to achieve its Mission 44+", Arora said.
He blamed the political parties of the State for exploiting the religious and regional sentiments of the people for their vested interests.
Arora declined the reports that the BJP would forge any post-poll alliance with the ruling National Conference (NC). "We have to break the barrier created between kingship and the people for the betterment and prosperity of the State. We will not form any post-poll alliance with any political party," he said.
Reiterating the BJP's newest stand on the Article 370 of the Constitution that guarantees special status to Jammu & Kashmir, Arora said that his party wants a debate over the subject and the party will not take any decision against the wishes of people of the State.
Arora also said that some misconception was created in the State that BJP won't achieve its target in the elections. "We are confident that the BJP will achieve 'Mission 44+' and for that the party will announce its candidates for the remaining seats within couple of days," he said.