The BJP organised a ‘tiranga’ rally in the hometown of People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday, within an hour of a grenade explosion in Bijbehara town, which left one CRPF jawan injured.
“The success of the ‘tiranga’ rally was a loud message to the Muftis from their hometown. The ‘tiranga’ is not only unfurled but also celebrated in Kashmir by the local population,” BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said at the public rally.
The rally assumed significance as Ms. Mufti once stirred a controversy by saying, “if Article 370 was removed, no one will be left in J&K to unfurl the tricolour.”
Mr. Hussain said the local population had no problem with the BJP or the national flag. “People of Kashmir have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of development. The new Kashmir signifies peace and prosperity,” he asserted.
The senior BJP leader asked the Gupkar alliance “to stop whipping the frenzy over the past and accept the present political change in J&K as the reality.”
“Grenades and bullets won’t stop us from meeting people and taking democracy to the grass roots level,” Mr. Hussain said.
Senior BJP leader Vibodh Gupta also addressed the public rally in Bijbehara.
Farooq writes to election body
National Conference (NC) president and head of the six-party amalgam People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday alleged capturing of polling booths and bogus voting during the District Development Council polls and demanded repolling.
In a letter addressed to State Election Commissioner K.K. Sharma, Dr. Abdullah claimed that an incident of booth capturing and subsequent bogus voting took place in Garoora area of Bandipora in north Kashmir on December 13.
“A very sad state of affairs has been brought to my notice. At a number of places, real voters and supporters of the PAGD candidates were disallowed to vote. Apart from wanton capturing of polling booths at Garoora, Bandipora A on December 13, incidents of unwarranted interference were reported from a number of areas which went to polls on December 16. In Chitragam, Shopian, voters were forcefully stopped from casting their votes,” the letter said.
He demanded that in the interest of justice and fair play, repoll be considered in these areas.
