UP BJP MLA slams Rajnath for J-K peace initiative

Slamming Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for the Ramzan peace initiative in Jammu and Kashmir, controversial BJP MLA Surindra Singh today said bullet for bullet was the way to deal with terrorrists.

On May 16, the Union government directed security forces not to launch counter-terror operations during Ramzan but said they reserve the right to retaliate if attacked.

"The ceasefire decision of Rajnath Singh is wrong... The befitting answer to a bullet is bullet not dialogue," the BJP MLA from Bairiya told newspersons here.

Despite the peace initiative, militant attacks have continued in the valley. On Thursday, veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari was shot dead by terrorists outside his office in Srinagar while, a rifleman of the Indian Army was abducted by terrorists and his dead body was found hours later in Pulwama.

Singh took potshots at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said that he had "inherited" the top post in his party but will never become the prime minister.

"He has inherited the party president's post, but he will never be able to become the prime minister as people of the country will never give this post to him," Singh said.

The BJP MLA has made many controversial statements in the past and even criticised his own party leaders and ministers.

Following the recent Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly bypolls, he blamed ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government for the party's humiliating defeat in both the constituencies.

He had gone to the extent of saying that if certain ministers were not removed from the state cabinet, the ruling party's downfall in UP was certain.

Singh had said if the grievances of the poor people were not heard at police stations, tehsil offices and block offices, they will not vote for the BJP.

"The BJP government has not been able to give a transparent government," the MLA had said leaving the party embarrassed.

He had also endorsed the view of senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi that the rising prices of petrol and diesel were responsible for the BJP's defeat in the bypolls.

Singh has also said that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be an "Islam vs bhagwan" battle.