Togadia seeks Mufti’s apology, Massarat’s re-arrest

 

BJP’s J&K President, MLAs attend VHP rally with RSS, Bajrang Dal activists

 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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Jammu, March 8: Even as Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government on Sunday permitted Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s weeklong ‘Swaran Jayanti Samaroh’ [Golden Jubilee rallies] in Jammu and decided against arresting the Hindu right wing organization’s top leader, who is escaping arrest in case FIR No: 98/2012 filed against him in Rajouri, Praveen Togadia sought the Chief Minister’s apologies for releasing the prominent separatist functionary Massarat Alam Bhat.

 

VHP's International General Secretary Togadia inaugurated the weeklong celebrations with a rally of the Sangh Parivar activists at Dassehra Park in Gandhi Nagar area. Most of the speakers at the rally stressed that all those demonstrating love and loyalty for Pakistan should be caught and pushed across the International Border. They emphasized that there was “no space for such traitors in India”.

 

BJP’s State President and Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLAs Kavinder Gupta, Sat Sharma and Rajesh Gupta besides scores of the leaders and hundreds of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and other Sangh Parivar constituent activists participated in the rally.

Launching a scathing attack on Mufti, Togadia said he must apologise to the people of the State and the nation for setting free the pro-Pakistan Muslim League leader Massarat Alam. He described Alam as the “killer” of 120 people who had died in different incidents of Police action and stone pelting, allegedly sponsored by Alam, in 2010.

 

"Mufti is acting against the people of the State, against employment and peace. He will destroy this State ," Togadia told reporters while seeking Alam’s re-arrest. He labelled Mufti as the “enemy of peace and prosperity of all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir” and grumbled: "If he will not stop, people of India and the State will decide and force him to step down”.

 

The VHP firebrand, who is known for spreading communal hatred and whose Golden Jubilee celebrations were not permitted in February by the State governments of Odisha, Karnataka and Assam, alleged that Mufti was speaking the language of Pakistan. “He should respect the mandate of the people who voted for peace, development and creation of employment avenues for the youth of the state and rejected the separatists like Alam outright with massive participation in the recent Assembly elections.

 

"Those who give the slogans of Go India Go Back should be hanged," Togadia said with an obvious reference to Alam. He asserted that the nationalist people had love and respect for the Indian Army. He alleged that the PDP patron had brought “shame” to India and her people with his actions and statements. Taking exception to his expression of indebtedness and gratitude to Pakistan, separatists and militants for “allowing smooth elections in Kashmir”, Togadia asked: “If Mufti has been obliged by Pakistan, why shouldn’t he contest next elections from that country?”

 

“None other than Pakistan has set Kashmir on fire for 25 years and caused massive destruction in this State. People here have suffered because of Pakistan. Should he be grateful to Pakistan or the hapless people who have suffered immensely over the last 25 years?”, Togadia asked, questioning Mufti’s acknowledgement of the neighbouring country’s “support” to holding of Assembly elections.

 

“People here gave mandate for a change and this mandate was against the terrorism which destroyed the State”, he added. He asserted that the Sangh constituents had not diluted their stand on abrogation of Article 370, State subject rights to West Pakistan refugees, rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits and other key issues. He said that by announcing release and rehabilitation of the separatist militants, Mufti’s government should not absorb anti-national elements into the ranks of various government departments, particularly Police. “Mufti should not think of creating a militant brigade in the J&K Police”, Togadia said.

 

 

ANTI-BJP PROTESTS

 

Meanwhile Alam’s release unfolded a political crisis for BJP as scores of Congress and Youth Congress activists here held demonstrations against the ruling coalition partner. They shouted anti-BJP slogans, claiming that the BJP had “surrendered completely” before the PDP. They also demanded Alam’s re-arrest.

 

Visibly perturbed by the public sentiment turning against it in Jammu, BJP held a closed-door meeting to discuss the crisis. Party’s national General Secretary Avinash Rai Khanna presided over the meeting which was attended by senior BJP leaders.

 

After the meeting concluded, BJP State President Jugal Kishore told mediapersons that his party had expressed and communicated “serious resentment and concern” to the Mufti government over Alam’s release. “We categorically disown this action. BJP has not been taken on board. We will take up this matter very seriously after our leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh returns from his Kashmir visit”, Kishore said.

 

The BJP leader said that his party would “review” its power sharing with Mufti and his PDP even as the government had been formed for six years.

 

END