Given fresh mandate, BJP must resolve J&K's issues, say state leaders

Srinagar: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to return to power with a bigger majority, various political parties in Jammu and Kashmir — mainstream and separatist alike — have hoped that the party will seize the historic decisive mandate given to it by the people for taking bold decisions to resolve Kashmir and all other outstanding issues with Pakistan to bring about lasting peace in South Asia.

“The BJP’s policy towards Kashmir during its five years of rule has been unrealistic and too harsh. We hope it will use the decisive mandate it has been given by the people of India for breaking the walls and ushering an era of durable peace in South Asia by taking bold decisions to resolve the Kashmir issue,” said Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

He added, “The lingering dispute over Kashmir is the main stumbling block to peace in the region. It must be resolved through dialogue and the BJP has emerged as strong enough to make a serious move on this.”

Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah while congratulating the BJP for its “stellar performance” in the elections hoped that the new government headed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will carry out the mandate with better accountability and address the issues faced in J&K with the utmost care and with a view to take the state out of the difficult situation it has been caught in for the past three decades.

Analyst Dr Sheikh Show-kat Hussain said, “The wor-ld has already seen the imp-act of the BJP’s rule on the situation of Kashmir. It has completely been alienated from India. The separatist leanings here only incr-eased sharply after the BJP took the reins of power in New Delhi five years ago. But we can hope that the BJP will now seize the fresh mandate which is more dec-isive than the previous one towards resolving the Kashmir issue”.

NC president and three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah who has been elected on Srinagar Lok Sabha seat for the second time in a row said, “This Parliament will not be easy. There are several important issues with respect to J&K because we have to fight them on their intention to do away with Article 370 and Article 35A.”

Another issue is that they want to divide the Muslims and Hindus in the country; we have to fight that as well.”

He asserted, “This country belongs to all and we have to keep this country strongly on that secular path enshrined in our Constitution. We have to protect the Constitution, drafted by (B R) Ambedkar, and take the country forward.”

He also hoped that the new dispensation at the Centre will initiate a dialogue with Pakistan. He said, “I hope that the new government at the Centre will do justice with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.  I hope it will follow the policy of reconciliation and rapprochement in the state”. He added, “Every time there is a confrontation between India and Pakistan, it is our state that comes in the line of fire. It is our state that would straight benefit from the bonhomie between the two countries.”

PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “I congratulate Narendra Modiji for a historic mandate. Today surely belongs to BJP and its allies. Time for Congress to get an Amit Shah.”

BJP’s state unit chief Ravinder Raina said, “It is a vote for nationalism in the battle of nationalists and ‘anti-nationalists’. It is a victory of the country’s people. It is a victory of nationalism.”

He added, “This election was between the idea of Bharat and the idea of terrorism-launching-pad Pakistan. It is the victory of India and Modiji and his strong and bold steps on all fronts.”