BJP WAS GREEDY FOR POWER IN J&K: SHIV SENA

MUMBAI: Attacking the BJP over its exit from the Jammu and Kashmir government, the Shiv Sena on Thursday said the party had spread anarchy in the state before opting out. In an editorial in its mouthpiece, Saamana, it said the BJP formed the government with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) only for “greed” of power, and compared its exit to the British decamping from India in 1947.

Earlier this week, the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP, claiming that it had become “untenable”.

“Terrorism, violence, and radicalisation have risen and fundamental rights of citizens are in danger in the Valley,” Ram Madhav, BJP general secretary and architect of the alliance, said while announcing the decision on June 19.

The Sena slammed the BJP for pinning the blame of rising violence solely on the PDP.

“The BJP opted out of power after spreading anarchy in the Valley. The situation has never before deteriorated to this extent, rivers of blood have never flown so extensively, and never have so many soldiers lost their lives before,” the Sena alleged.

In the run-up to the 2014 general elections, PM Narendra Modi had talked about dealing with terrorism in Kashmir and Pakistan with a “56-inch chest”, but those assurances have fallen flat, the Sena said. People in J&K are so distressed with the increasing incidents of violence that they “feel the [previous] Congress-national Conference government was better,” the editorial claimed.