BJP-PDP tie-up doesn’t make any difference: Geelani

While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP have sealed the deal for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, the separatists, closely monitoring the situation, say BJP’s coming of power “doesn’t make any difference”.
“It (BJP’s coming to power) doesn’t make any difference to us,” Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani said. “For us (separatists), there is no difference between BJP and PDP or Congress and National Conference or any other pro-India political party. They are all occupiers”.
Geelani said that BJP would try to fulfill its agenda after coming to power and that adds to the responsibility of the people.
“It (BJP’s coming to power) will affect us, it has been affecting us all these years,” he said. “It only adds to our responsibility. The only option left with us is to fight”.
The separatists, however, are concerned about BJP’s agenda on West Pakistan refugees, terming it as an attempt to change the demography of the state.
“Be it BJP, PDP, Congress or NC, they are all same, our enemies,” senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah said. “But we also know that BJP has the Sangh mindset and they want to change our majority status into minority,” he added.
Shah warned of a public stir if any attempt is made to the “change the demography” of the state.
“That (citizenship rights to West Pakistan refugees) would not be acceptable to us at any cost,” he said. “If they would have been the state subjects of the valley, we would have no objection. But they are not. They can settle them anywhere in India”.
Shah said that the separatist leadership should “sit together and formulate a strategy” against any such move.
Hurriyat (M) has been monitoring the situation closely. “We are keeping an eye on the situation as it develops,” said Hurriyat (M) spokesman Shahid-ul-Islam. “Mirwaiz sahib is back to the valley today and our amalgam will meet in a week’s time,” he added.