BJP to contest ‘independently’ in JK

Srinagar, Feb 13: Bharatiya Janata Party’s national vice-president, Avinash Rai Khanna, on Wednesday said that his party would independently contest the upcoming polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Khanna, while addressing a presser here, said that BJP is not eyeing to enter into any pre-poll alliance.
He also took on regional parties NC and PDP for criticising Governor Satya Pal Malik.
“They shall appreciate the good works of the Governor instead of criticising him,” he said.
Regarding the recent incident in Jammu where Kashmir-bound stranded passengers were harassed by Jammuites, Khanna alleged that some “nefarious designs” among the passengers tried to “disturb the peace by raising anti-national slogans” in Jammu.
“Some of the elements from stranded passengers of Kashmir raised anti-Jammu and anti-India slogans to disturb the atmosphere. We won’t let them succeed in their nefarious designs to disturb the peace,” Khanna said.
Thousands of Kashmir bound passengers were stranded in Jammu as the national highway was shut for last several days due to landslides at some places.
The students of Science College in Canal Road, Jammu on Monday pelted stones on the Kashmiri passengers who had assembled to protest against the failure of state government to airlift them to the “disconnected” valley.
Some of the passengers had allegedly raised anti-India slogans.
Over Kargil residents’ demand of rotational divisional headquarters, the BJP national vice president said: “The divisional status has been the demand of the people of Ladakh since independence. We appreciate the Governor accepted that demand. The Governor has framed a committee to ensure justice with Kargil. We respect the sentiments of Kargil residents as well.”