BJP in a fix after Mehbooba’s claim on Burhan Wani

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 29

The self-proclaimed “nationalist” party BJP is in a fix after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s startling revelation that security officials were “unaware” of the presence of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani in the area where encounter took place in which he (Wani) was killed in a gun battle.

The leadership of the “ultra-nationalist” party has landed in an embarrassing position because the Opposition has asked the BJP to clear its stand on the Chief Minister’s statement.

While party ministers in the coalition government have maintained a guarded silence over the disclosure of the Chief Minister, the BJP has assigned the job to its chief spokesman Sunil Sethi to counter Mehbooba’s statement, though in a veiled manner.

“The Chief Minister’s statement means policy decision of the state government. One can draw conclusion from the revelation of the Chief Minister that the government was ready to give safe passage to dreaded militant Buhran Wani,” Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh contented, while quoting Mehbooba’s statement. “The BJP, especially Deputy Chief Minister, who is Jammu’s representative in the government, should answer what will be the government stand if security forces were aware of the presence of Burhan Wani at the encounter side,” said Harsh Dev Singh and regretted that for the lust of power the BJP was playing with the fire by pursuing separatist agenda.

The Congress also came down heavily on the BJP and asked the Deputy Chief Minister to explain the stand of his party on the “dangerous” statements of Chief Minister Mehboba Mufti.

In a joint press conference, general secretaries of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Manjit Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh and Namrata Sharma said the Chief Minister had stated on Thursday that “had the security forces known that Bhuran Wani was the part of the militant group hold up in Anantnag, he would have been allowed another chance”. The leaders asked the BJP leaders to explain if they agreed with the Chief Minister when she said the sacrifice of the boys would not go to waste.

The people of Jammu had voted for the BJP in large numbers and it was the duty of the Deputy Chief Minister and other Cabinet ministers to explain their position before the people of the state, they said.

They said the present security scenario in the state was a matter of concern and especially when there was lack of coherence between the government and the security forces.