BJP slams PDP, NC for ‘hurting’ minority community
After maintaining a guarded silence for days, the BJP today hit back at coalition partner PDP and main opposition party NC for hurting religious sentiments of the minority community over the beef controversy. The party asked the state government to immediately arrest Independent MLA Engineer Rashid, who had hosted a beef party in violation of directions of the High Court.
Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had apologised in the Legislative Assembly for the conduct of his party members who manhandled Engineer Rashid. The Deputy Chief Minister had apologised as he was directed by the Chief Minister to do so.
In a hard-hitting statement issued here today, state BJP spokesperson Virender Gupta said Law Minister Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were provoking people to break the law, freely eat beef and inflict deep wounds on sentiments of the minority community in J-K.
Although the BJP spokesperson appreciated the statement of Dr Farooq Abdullah, in which he had condemned and disapproved of acts which hurt the religious sentiments of others, the party observed that it was too late.
“Farooq should have given the statement in the Valley when emotions were running high and his party leaders and workers, including his son and NC working president, indulged in raising emotions of the majority community in the Valley,” Professor Gupta pointed out.
He added, “They encouraged people to violate rules prohibiting the slaughter of cows and sale of beef, thereby hurting religious sentiments of the minority community.” He further said NC leaders were not an exception as those of the PDP, alliance partner of the BJP, followed the same path.
The BJP spokesperson said it was shocking and unfortunate that the NC, Congress and CPM had not condemned the action of Engineer Rashid, who had hosted a beef party in the MLA hostel in defiance of the High Court order.
He said even in the resolution passed in the Assembly, nothing was mentioned about the beef party episode that terribly hurt the feelings of the minority community. He said the incident had done great damage to secular ethos and very existence of Jammu and Kashmir as one political unit.
Professor Gupta asked the state government to arrest Engineer Rashid under the Pubic Safety Act for spreading hatred among religions, creating a divide among communities, communalising the atmosphere and violating rules and High Court judgement.
He added that the entire episode had further alienated people of the Jammu region, who had always upheld secular traditions and maintained peace and communal harmony in spite of many provocations from Kashmiri leaders.
