Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 4: National Conference leader Mubarak Gul today blamed opposition BJP for promoting polarization in the country.
Speaking on the Lieutenant Governor’s Address in the Legislative Assembly, the veteran NC leader said that while BJP frequently questions the ruling dispensation about its achievements, it hardly mentions about the difficulties the Omar Abdullah-led Government has faced in the past 15 months in the Government.
Citing incidents such as the Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, Delhi and Nowgam blasts and recurring floods, Gul said the Government had navigated these difficult situations while maintaining stability.
Taking aim at the BJP, Gul said the party needed to introspect on what they have done to the country by pitting communities against each other in the name of their faiths.
He warned that targeting people in the name of religion would harm national unity. He recalled that British rule succeeded in India by exploiting religious divisions.
Referring to the recent closure of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, Gul said the shrine belongs to people of all faiths and not to any particular community.
He said religious institutions in the country are visited by followers of different faiths without discrimination and criticized the decision to shut the institute.
Gul said while the BJP frequently questions the J&K Government, the party at the Centre, which holds significant authority in the Union Territory, must also answer issues concerning the region.
He accused the BJP of weakening Jammu and Kashmir by bifurcating it into two Union Territories, terming it a major setback.
He alleged that there were attempts to further divide regions of J&K and asserted that such moves would be opposed. Gull also questioned the BJP’s claims on ending militancy in the region.
Expressing anguish over the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A, Gul said the provisions were safeguards for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said he had moved a resolution seeking restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019 status of the State and expressed hope that statehood would be restored in future.
Gul also criticised delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies, alleging it was done for political gains.
He raised concern over incidents involving Kashmiri youth in other States and appealed to political parties to prevent the spread of hatred.
Questioning BJP’s claims of large central grants, Gul said Jammu and Kashmir could contribute significantly to national development if power projects were handed over to the Union Territory.
He concluded by urging political parties to preserve the country’s composite culture.
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