'Threats issued to Muslim community in VHP's Dharam Sabha in Jammu' : Naeem Akhtar

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Tuesday condemned the "hateful language and threats" issued to the Muslim community during the 'Dharam Sabha' organized by VHP and RSS at Jammu and accused the BJP of trying to reap electoral gains by such events.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad Sunday organised a 'Dharam Sabha' in Jammu where a top Hindu religious leader called for a legislation to be passed during the ongoing winter session of Parliament for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"By promoting such hatred and negativity, the BJP has once again established that it can never again be trusted as a party of governance in a composite state like Jammu and Kashmir and that it has blocked its entry into the power structure of the state for ever," former minister and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said in a statement.

PDP and BJP were coalition partners in the state government from 1 March 2015 to 19 June 2018 when the latter pulled out and withdrew support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government.

He also alleged that the BJP was trying to create 2008-like unrest in the state.

For several months in 2008, there were protests in Kashmir and counter-protests in Jammu over the allotment of 800 kanals of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). Later the government withdrew the order.

Akhtar claimed that the Dharam Sabha in Jammu was organised by the BJP and the senior party leaders including its state president attended it.

People like me who have been part of the growth of Jammu into an inclusive and composite society over the past decades are of considered view that the sentiments expressed at the Dharam Sansad do not coincide with the general opinion of the people of Jammu. If these imported voices are even tolerated within the state, it would first hit Jammu itself as we have witnessed what happened in Kashmir society in 1990, Akhtar said.

The PDP leader said that if the leaders of these right wing nationalist organizations claim to be religious, they should try to become good human beings and speak of inclusive growth and prosperity.

He said that such hateful campaigning can lead the country to disaster and Jammu and Kashmir can become the worst victim of it.

We are already facing problems on different accounts and the government must not provide any public space to such hateful campaigns to take place anywhere in the state, he said.