In Srinagar, the BJP is accused by People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti of exploiting the agony and tribulation of the Kashmiri Pandit community to amass votes nationwide.
According to Mufti, the BJP has not only utilized the Kashmiri Pandits as a voting constituency but also wielded their suffering as a tool. Allegedly, they weaponized the anguish of the Kashmiri Pandits to solicit votes from others.
In her remarks at a condolence gathering for a Kashmiri Pandit acquaintance, she stated, “Although the Pandit community may not wield significant voting power themselves, the BJP capitalized on their anguish to canvass votes in their name, all the while failing to address their grievances.”
Mufti, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state, lamented that since the BJP-led central government assumed direct control of Jammu and Kashmir, even those Kashmiri Pandits who once resided there have departed due to deteriorating circumstances.
She remarked on the prevailing situation in the country, citing incidents of violence against their community, the destruction of mosques and madrassas, and the demolition of homes. Mufti emphasized the need for solidarity among Hindus and Muslims, asserting that the secular ethos of the nation should prevail.
Regarding the repatriation of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, Mufti expressed confidence that the community could resettle independently without government assistance. “Our Kashmiri Pandit brethren enduring hardships in Jammu or elsewhere require no external aid to return here, be it from the BJP government, Mehbooba Mufti’s administration, or any other entity. The people of Kashmir fervently desire the return of the Kashmiri Pandits,” she declared.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and former chief minister Omar Abdullah paid their respects to the bereaved family, declining to engage with the media, citing the solemnity of the occasion.
