National Conference Additional General Secretary and candidate from Tangmarg constituency, Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal Tuesday said that BJP had always been an advocate of AFSPA being taken a permanent feature of the law and order machinery in the State and it was BJP that raised a hue and cry every time National Conference demanded the revocation of the Act from the UPA Government in New Delhi.“BJP has no stake in the honor and dignity of the people of J&K and hence laws like AFSPA are of no concern to them. On the contrary, senior BJP leaders in Delhi have repeatedly asked that AFSPA be made a permanent feature of the law and order apparatus in the State. Today a few calculate, stray statements by unknown BJP entities about AFSPA cannot fool the people of J&K. We know that BJP has nothing but contempt for our sentiments and aspirations and believes that laws like AFSPA are political tools to oppress our liberties on a permanent basis,” Kamal said in a statement.
He said that when it comes to AFSPA, all three political parties – BJP, Congress and PDP were on the same page as all these parties had scuttled NC’s efforts to get the Act revoked from the State. “The only difference is that BJP and Congress openly opposed revocation of AFSPA, while PDP opposed it secretly by sabotaging all our efforts to get the Act revoked. Professor Saif-ud-din Soz went on record to say that he opposes the revocation of AFSPA from the State and today any statement by Congress stating the contrary are statements with no substance or truth in them,” the NC leader said.
“BJP is desperately trying to raise all possible political slogans to fetch a handful of votes in the Valley. As soon as elections conclude, they will be singularly focused on their efforts to get Article 370 abrogated, the State Subject Laws diluted and AFSPA becoming a permanent law in J&K. The people of J&K are not fools and have witnessed a lot of political turmoil and a prolonged political uncertainty and can sift the truth from the lies. BJP will have to eat a humble pie in the ensuing Assembly Elections,” Kamal added.