PDP-BJP regime in J&K undoing UPA's work, says Congress

The Congress on Tuesday accused the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir of "undoing" the work done by the previous UPA government and said this had led to "emboldening of separatists and militants" in the valley.

"The current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) coalition has just managed to embolden the separatists, militants and Pakistani groups to disturb Kashmir," Congress leader R.P.N. Singh told reporters here.

"Separatists, militants and Pakistan didn't have any role and were put into sidelines of Kashmir but after the last elections in the state, the BJP-PDP coalition, which was formed just to grab power, undid all the work that we did," he alleged.

"In 10 years of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) rule there was relative peace in Jammu and Kashmir and our mantra was development. There was a fillip in tourism, job creations, education etc, which led people of Jammu and Kashmir to have faith in the mainstream of the country," Singh said.

The Congress leader's remarks came in the wake of Sunday's terror attack on an army camp in Kashmir's Uri sector, in which 18 Indian soldiers were martyred, and ongoing protests in the valley that started after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

Over 80 people have been killed and thousands have been left injured in clashes between the security forces and protesters since then.

Taking a dig at the central government, Singh said, "We saw how in this present dispensation things have became worse in Kashmir and stone pelting is back in large scale."

"Flags of Pakistan and ISIS are being waived in Kashmir, we see separatists, militants and Pakistan stamps in the state while present dispensation could only manage to clamp curfew," the Congress leader added.

Singh said that the Congress expresses full solidarity with the central government on any meaningful action which it initiates in the interest of national security.

Highlighting the work of the Congress-led UPA government, Singh said, "After the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the UPA government prepared dossier for the United Nations (UN), the United States (US), and for our allies and as well as for the allies of Pakistan."

"We showed them through the dossier that state actors and non-state actors in Pakistan are the same people and it perpetrates terror, provides safe haven for terrorists," he added.

"It is because of that policy of our UPA government that Pakistan didn't dare to attack the very idea of India," he said.

Singh asked, "Today what is the foreign policy of this country?"

"Our Prime Minister is going there and inviting them over here, talking and non-talking etc, what is this flip-flop policy of India," he wondered.

"It's high time now that we have a decisive policy which helps in restoring the pride of the nation and making sure that no more jawans of our nation are martyred, borders become secure and there's no easy passage for terrorists," Singh added.

--IANS

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