Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday while justifying the detention of political leaders including three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir said that had these leaders been representing people of Kashmir, then why nobody protesting in their favour to seek their release.The party also said that not even a single protest by common people of Kashmir was staged in any part of the Valley let alone Jammu and Ladakh regions in favour of detained leaders and infact there is a general opinion in Kashmir that “the detention period of these leaders should be prolonged.”Talking to wire-service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), BJP’s national vice-president and J&K affairs incharge, Avinash Khanna said that the leaders who are under detention never served people and instead filled their own pockets and worked for their own family members. “They built palatial houses and ensured jobs to their kith and kin. This is what they did while enjoying the power. The common people suffered a lot on every front,” Khanna said. He said had the leaders who are serving detention post August 5 decision of Centre to abrogate the Article 370 and bifurcation of erstwhile State into two Union Territories (UTs), really “people’s leaders”, then why nobody hit the streets in their favour to seek their release.
He said National Conference, PDP and Congress always befooled people of Jammu and Kashmir on one or the other pretext only to get votes to enjoy power. “All the major scams, embezzlements and corruption has been taking place when those under detention were ruling the erstwhile State,” he said. He said J&K as a UT will progress under new rule and democratic set up as already seen on ground. “Today Sarpanchs and Panchs are so happy that they are able to serve their people by fulfilling their needs. Rs 25 lakh have been transferred to each Panchayat in J&K with an aim of changing the today into better tomorrow. People of Kashmir are reaping the dividends of good governance,” he told KNO.He said that BJP’s real agenda is to ensure peace, progress and development in J&K and every step is being taken into that direction. “We are happy to see larger participation of people into governance related activities,” Khanna said. He said that assembly elections will soon take place and before that delimitation was also on cards. “Delimitation is bound to happen before Assembly polls,” Khanna said. (KNO)