Oppn leaders in J&K claim that Modi’s visit was made only to “drum up support” for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
In light of the impending Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir is purely intended to address and garner support from the BJP’s core constituency in the rest of the country, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti stated on Thursday. She also claimed that government employees were “forcibly” transported to the prime minister’s event location.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir claimed that government workers had been “forcefully mobilized” and brought to Modi’s rally in order to present a “pretty picture that everything is well” after the Centre divided the former state into Union territories and revoked Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019.
“In subzero temperatures, government workers are being herded into vehicles at Budgam bus stand at five in the morning to be transported to the PM’s rally.” Mufti said on X, “It is depressing to see staff members being coerced into painting a nice picture that everything is well after 2019 and that people here are celebrating their own collective disempowerment and humiliation.”
The head of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) declared that the situation “stands contrary” to previous prime minister visits during the height of the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, when the general public flocked to their events with great enthusiasm and left with hope in their hearts.
“But this time, Kashmiris are aware that everything that is said at Bakshi Stadium would serve to further aggravate their wounds by highlighting the purported advantages of the unlawful repeal of Article 370. The only purpose of this tour is to rally support for the next parliamentary elections among the BJP’s core base in the rest of India, the spokesperson said.
On Wednesday, Omar Abdullah, a National Conference (NC) leader and another former chief minister, said that the Jammu and Kashmir government was “pulling out all the stops” to guarantee that Modi’s rally would draw large numbers of people. He claimed that in Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not be able to do this on its own.
According to Abdullah, hundreds of government workers have been requested to gather at certain areas before sunrise so that they may be transported to Modi’s rally site.
“Thousands of workers, both male and female, are ordered to gather in the bitter cold between 4:30 and 5:30 in order to be bussed to the location. It is required that you participate; it is not optional. The leaders of their departments are threatening to discipline absentee workers,” he said on X.
On Thursday, on his first trip to Kashmir after Article 370’s provisions were repealed, Modi will launch many development projects valued at over Rs 6,400 crore and speak at a public gathering in Srinagar.
