Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti.
Credit: PTI Photo
Jammu: The BJP on Monday lambasted former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti for linking the Delhi blast to the situation in the Union Territory, terming her comments "irresponsible" and "dangerous".
The PDP chief on Sunday claimed the car blast near the Red Fort on November 10 that killed 13 people reflected a deepening sense of insecurity across the country and a failure of the government's policies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hitting back, Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokespersons Abhijeet Jasrotia and Rajni Sethi said that Mehbooba Mufti's statement unfairly portrayed the youth of Jammu and Kashmir as radicalised.
"Her remarks painting all youths as radicalised are irresponsible and dangerous. It is deeply unfortunate that a former chief minister would make such sweeping generalisations about the young population of Jammu and Kashmir," Jasrotia said.
"If anyone is responsible for fostering radicalised ecosystems, it is the leadership of regional parties and the Congress, which have long benefitted from such narratives," he alleged.
Menbooba Mufti, on Sunday, targeted the BJP and said, "You told the world that everything is alright in Kashmir, but the troubles of Kashmir echoed right in front of the Red Fort."
"You promised to make Jammu and Kashmir safe, but instead of fulfilling that promise, your policies have made Delhi unsafe. I don't know how many people in the Central Government are true nationalists... If a well‑educated youth, a doctor, kills himself and others by strapping RDX to his body, it means there is no safety in the nation," she had said.
Jasrotia questioned the PDP chief's attempt to link the Delhi blast to the abrogation of Article 370, asking why terror attacks such as the Parliament attack and the Delhi High Court blast, that happened before the August 2019 changes, would not fit the same logic.
"For decades, Jammu and Kashmir was held hostage not by its people but by a handful of political dynasties whose survival depended on perpetuating instability," the BJP leader said.
Jasrotia alleged that political dynasties in Jammu and Kashmir "thrived on instability" for decades. "These families are not stakeholders in peace. They are stakeholders in chaos. Their political oxygen comes from unrest."
"How can an ex-chief minister stoop so low? She has painted all the youth of Jammu and Kashmir with the same brush of radicalisation. If anyone is to be held responsible for fostering radicalised ecosystems, the onus lies squarely on these leaders of regional parties and the Congress, who have consistently justified and benefited from such narratives," he alleged.
Another BJP spokesperson, Rajni Sethi, targeted the National Conference (NC), accusing it of corruption and governance failures.
She said the recent remarks by NC president Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti had raised concerns about their political intent.
"NC's past is marred by corruption, and similar allegations are resurfacing today. Serious questions are being raised regarding departments overseen by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chowdhary; yet Omar Abdullah remains silent," she said.
Sethi alleged the NC leadership was diverting public attention toward emotive issues such as statehood instead of addressing transparency and administrative concerns.
The chief minister must address the public directly, clarify the government's position, and take concrete steps to restore trust, she added.