BJP leaders target NC, PDP during debate on J&K Reorganisation Bill

New Delhi [India], Aug 7 (ANI): Political dynasties in Jammu and Kashmir came under sharp attack by BJP members in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Reorganisation Bill with Home Minister Amit Shah targeting three dynasties and Union Minister Jitendra Singh and BJP MP from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal attacking the remaining two.
The apparent reference by BJP leaders was on the dynasties linked to National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Singh, who is the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and an MP from Udhampur, said that the two families had believed for the last 40 years that they were indispensable. "Their time is up now," he said.
Targeting both NC and PDP for not taking part in the panchayat polls but participating in the Lok Sabha elections later, Singh claimed that the motive was to get elected as MPs with eight to ten per cent voter turnout.
"They wanted to get themselves elected with eight to ten per cent voter turnout. This has done maximum damage," he said.
Singh said that NC started talking of plebiscite after the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah in 1953.
He said when Abdullah was again made the chief minister, the party took a U-turn and a committee formed by it had said that the laws extended to the state were in its interest.
Singh said that the party used the provisions of Article 370 "when convenient" and said when the term of assemblies was extended during Emergency, Sheikh Abdullah government immediately adopted it.
"You have misused Article 370 for political purposes and have not been loyal to people," he said.
Singh said some parties had sought to sustain their politics in an atmosphere of vacuum.
He also hit out at Congress, accusing it of destabilising the Farooq Abdullah government. "Is this your commitment to democracy? The kind of rigging that happened in 1987 contributed to terrorism raising its head," the union minister remarked.
On the other hand, Namgyal said two families were part of the problem and not the solution, and alleged that they had treated the state as if they owned it.
Shah said that Article 370 was a temporary provision but had not been repealed to protect the interests of "three families".
"Who stopped central Acts from being extended to Jammu and Kashmir. It was done to keep (the rule of) three families. Article 370 was used to throttle democracy," he further said. (ANI)