Upcoming assembly polls first in 'secular J-K', says Sudhanshu Trivedi

The upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are historic as they are the first since the region "became secular", BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Thursday.

He emphasised that these elections represented a choice between nationalist and anti-national forces.

"In these assembly elections, people must choose between those promising peace and development and those promising death and destruction," Trivedi told reporters.

After the 42nd amendment to the Indian Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir adopted a six-year term for its assembly but did not explicitly include the word 'secular' in its constitution, he alleged.

"At that time, Jammu and Kashmir had its own constitution. After the abrogation of Article 370, there is now a unified Constitution," he said.

He also claimed these were the first elections in Jammu and Kashmir after Other Backward Classes (OBCs) received reservation.

Trivedi said, "These elections are significant as they are the first after Jammu and Kashmir became secular -- the first under one flag, and the first without incidents of stone pelting, ISIS and Pakistan flags, and hartals."

"The National Conference and the Congress aim to revive terrorism and separatism," he said. "The Congress must clarify who they intend to release from jails -- Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi, or Shabir Shah?"

The Congress and the National Conference are contesting the elections in an alliance.

Trivedi also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for meeting with individuals abroad who did not recognise Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a part of India.

"Rahul recently met with individuals in the US who consider PoK a part of Pakistan, contrary to the Indian Parliament's resolution that PoK is an integral part of India," he said.

"As leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul has not only insulted the Parliament but also his ancestors who were part of the Parliament that passed the resolution declaring PoK as an integral part of India," Trivedi added.

Referring to remarks by former Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who said he feared visiting Kashmir during the Congress regime, Trivedi said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has restored peace in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, with a record two crore tourists visiting the region."

He also noted the resumption of Muharram processions in Kashmir after 33 years and highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir was the only region with two AIIMS and several prestigious professional and technical educational institutions.