Ballot politics to strengthen democracy, says Anurag

Jammu, November 23

The BJP is doing the politics of ballot to strengthen the democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Anurag Thakur has said as he lashed out at the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and accused it of playing the “politics of bullets” to scare the people in the Union Territory.

He also asserted that Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution, which were nullified by the BJP-led government at the Centre in August last year, had been “buried forever and cannot be restored back”.

The PAGD was formed by seven mainstream parties, including the National Conference and the PDP, to press for the restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019, position in J-K. The alliance is headed by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti is its vice chairperson.

Without naming anyone, Thakur said, “There are some who are seeking support of China, some are speaking the language of Pakistan and also insulting the national flag. “They are talking about the restoration of Article 370 with the support of China and Pakistan, the same Article with which they used to loot J-K for the past seven decades to benefit their families and deprived people of the benefits of development.”

In an apparent reference to the remarks of Mehbooba Mufti that BJP’s policies are driving the youth towards militancy, he said, “We are doing the politics of the ballot to strengthen democracy but they on the other hand are pursuing the politics of bullets to scare the public.” — PTI