'BJP-PDP alliance the darkest phase in J-K history'

The general secretary for the All India Congress Committee, Jammu, and Kashmir, Surinder Singh Channi said the Bharatiya Janata Party-Peoples Democratic Party alliance was the "darkest phase" in the history of the state.

Channi's statement came after the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The (BJP-PDP) alliance was the darkest phase in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. A record number of ceasefire violations at the border areas clearly states that the BJP is a failure and all the promises made by them were a complete hoax. Despite being at the Centre, the BJP has failed in both fronts. In the past four years, the state has suffered a lot, be it at the ground level or framing a better policy for the betterment of the state," he said.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in a statement claimed that the BJP's decision to withdraw from the coalition government with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir at this particular moment has the potential of creating greater political instability in the state.

"This alliance was untenable since the beginning. It was an alliance between forces that never saw eye to eye on any issue but came together in an act of sheer opportunism to share the spoils of office. The BJP was party to all decisions of the state government during the past three years and hence cannot absolve any responsibility for contributing to a further deterioration in the state and towards deepening the alienation of the people. It signifies the total political failure of the BJP's approach in Jammu & Kashmir," the CPI (M) said in a statement.

The Party further claimed that the impending imposition of President's rule may not help in addressing the issue of the deepening alienation of the people.

Earlier in the day, the BJP pulled out of its alliance with Mehbooba Mufti's PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, following which Mufti submitted her resignation to the state's governor.

The differences between the BJP and the PDP cropped up following the government's decision to resume anti-terror operations in the state, which were suspended during Ramzan.

"Terrorism, violence and radicalisation have risen and fundamental rights of the citizens are under danger in the Valley. Shujaat Bukhari's killing is an example. We have taken a decision, it is untenable for BJP to continue in alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, hence we are withdrawing," BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said while addressing a press conference.

The PDP had 28 MLAs in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, while the BJP had 25.