SRINAGAR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday warned of sending those who try to become an “impediment in the path of peace and development” in the Valley to outside jails.
“India has enough jails to accommodate those, who disturb peace and development in the state,” warned Madhav at the party event here. “Sometimes we feel astonished to see that Kashmir has been peaceful after some 200-300 people were detained. To maintain peace and development in Kashmir, if need arises, we will keep these 200-300 people in jails for more than two to three months.”
Without naming National Conference and the party’s former ally, Peoples Democratic Party, he described them as paper tigers saying that a phone call makes them to shiver. He blamed them for not letting peace and development take place in the Valley.
“Some of those who are detained in SKICC are sending message that people will have to pick up the gun and render sacrifices for Kashmir. I am telling today to the people that they should ask these politicians first to take such steps.
“Jammu and Kashmir couldn’t get out of the clutches of these two families. Now I see their third-generation lecturing on TV and in politics. The politics that has been here for the last 70 years will not work now,” he added.
Madhav also laid his blueprint for the future politics saying political parties are only welcome to do politics on peace and development, return of statehood and issue of unemployment.
“If you want statehood back, we don’t have issue. If you raise an issue for jobs, we are with you,” he said. “A false narrative was being created in Kashmir over the loss of jobs and land after abrogation of Article 370. This is all absurd to believe that jobs and identity of Kashmiris will be in danger. Everything will be done to preserve culture, identity and jobs for the people of Kashmir. Don’t fall prey to the false propaganda by a few people.”
According to him, there was no sentiment attachment to Article 370 in the Valley. “What kind of sentiment, he asked, was attached to the article 370 which didn’t benefit the people of the state? There is only sentiment of peace and development that exists and can interest the people,” he said.
The saffron party Kashmir minder said boycott of Block Development Council (BDC) elections by the pro-India mainstream parties was “selective” because the same parties boycotted panchayat and BDC polls, but later participated in Parliament polls. Madhav alleged that congress had already expressed their desire to abrogate Article 370 in the past. “Even Baskshi Ghulam Mohammad recommended Centre to remove it. Then Nehru also had said that it (Article 370) has to be abrogated,” he said.
Madhav asked people to celebrate the decision of abrogating Article 370 and bifurcation of the state as it was in the ‘overall interests of people of Jammu and Kashmir.’
“We took this big decision for the benefit of common people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is time to celebrate as people who were bound till now have been set free. Now everyone will rub his shoulder with any other citizen of India. Youth will get jobs, good education and respect,” he said.
He said the government was making efforts to create leadership at grassroots in the state. To build a new future, he said, a new politics has to be started, which the youth has to run. “If you follow these corrupt leaders then no good is going to happen for the state,” he asserted.
The BJP top functionary said the state has been a victim of corruption, which he said will be tackled under Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s rule.
“The biggest impediment for development here is the corruption. It will be uprooted like in other regions of India. We saw three years of government in the state. On one hand there was violence and then unending corruption on the other side. We ultimately had to break the alliance,” he said.
“Money was disbursed earlier as well but no one knew whose pockets were getting filled. We had panchayats but without rights. But now administrational and financial powers have been given to panchayats. Funds worth rupees 25 lakhs are given to every panchyat and crores to municipalities,” Madhav said.
The BJP general secretary claimed that gradually the situation was limping back to normalcy in the Valley. “No shop should remain shut. Everybody is scared of Modi ji then whom are you (people) scared of? Today I was at Batamaloo and I witnessed everyone was busy with his business. It took me half and hour to reach to the Tagare Hall.”
He also took jibe on Pakistan prime minister’s position on Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 saying “they shout, and we enjoy it”. ‘Imran Khan has to shout as he couldn’t manage his country. We have security forces to save people and their property till the last minute,” he added.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz