BJP man behind Republic Day violence, says Mehbooba

JAMMU: Former J&K chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday blamed the BJP for the Republic Day violence and said it was an attempt to defame farmers. “Republic Day is for celebrating the constitution but when you frame laws that are against fundamental rights then it is not done. Farmers are apprehensive about losing their land,” she said, adding, “I feel the government should immediately repeal these laws”. “Behind the R-day violence that we saw on TV channels ... was a BJP man. He remained with PM, HM and also campaigned for the BJP and Sunny Deol. I feel somewhere it was an attempt to malign the farmers,” she added. Mehbooba Mufti arrived in Jammu on Wednesday on a week-long visit to galvanise party cadre and hold discussions with senior leaders on party affairs and the future strategy. PDP had suffered major jot last year after six of its senior leaders quit the party. Barely two days ahead of DDC elections on November 26, PDP had suffered another jolt as three senior leaders — Dhaman Bhasin, Fallail Singh and Pritam Kotwal — quit the party. On October 26, former PDP MP TS Bajwa along with former MLC Ved Mahajan and former state secretary Choudhary Hussain Ali Wafa had quit the party over Mehbooba’s remarks against the Tricolour.

Delhi violence a black spot in Indian history: Ex-dy CM Kavinder Gupta Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta on Thursday condemned the violence and mayhem during farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi.