New Delhi, June 19: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday pulled out of the alliance with Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP in Jammu and Kashmir. Soon after, Mufti submitted her resignation to Governor Naeem Akhtar. Addressing a press conference, senior BJP leader and party’s national general secretary Ram Madhav said,”We have taken a decision, it is untenable for BJP to continue in alliance with PDP in Jammu & Kashmir, hence we are withdrawing.” (Catch live news updates on Jammu and Kashmir here)
“Keeping in mind larger interest of India’s security and integrity, fact is that J&K is an integral part of India, in order to bring control over the situation prevailing in the state we have decided that the reigns of power in the state be handed over to the Governor,” Ram Madhav said, adding,”Our efforts to fight terrorism will continue.”
Earlier in the day, BJP President Amit Shah has called for an urgent meeting of all Jammu and Kashmir BJP ministers and some top leaders in New Delhi today.
The meeting came as a result of the growing rift between the BJP and its ally PDP in Jammu and Kashmir over the Centre’s decision to not extend the ceasefire in the state after Ramzan. While J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wanted the ceasefire to be extended, the Centre decided against it in view of the spike in incidents of targeted violence in the state during the holy month of Ramzan.
Meanwhile, ahead of the meeting with 11 BJP ministers from Jammu and Kashmir, Shah met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, indicating that the agenda of the meeting is the state of security in the Valley.
A day after Eid, Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that the security forces have been directed to resume the operations in the state. “Security Forces are being directed to take all necessary actions as earlier to prevent terrorists from launching attacks and indulging in violence and killings. Government will continue with its endeavour to create an environment free of terror and violence in J&K,” he said on Sunday.
The Centre took the initiative – suspension of search and cordon operations in the Valley – to provide a peaceful environment to the people during the holy month of Ramzan. Howewer, Valley witnessed a spike in bloodshed including grenade attacks, the killing of senior journalist and ‘Rising Kashmir’ editor Shujaat Bukhari and the abduction and killing of Army jawan Aurangzeb by militants.
“It was expected that everyone will cooperate in ensuring the success of this initiative. While the security forces have displayed exemplary restraint during this period, the terrorists have continued with their attacks, on civilians and security forces, resulting in deaths and injuries,” said the Home Minister while announcing the end to Ramzan truce.
BJP and its ally PDP have been at the loggerheads ever since the two formed government in Jammu and Kashmir. The rift showed on several instances, prominently when the PDP promised of talks with separatists, proposed to remove the Armed Forces’ Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and even on the rollout of GST.