The Congress today asked the central government when it would ensure a congenial atmosphere for elections to take place in Jammu and Kashmir and elect a government of the people in the state.
The Congress also accused the BJP of radicalisation and said it cannot shun and run away from owning the responsibility of creating this mess and back-stabbing the
people of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The directionless, agenda-less and clueless policy of the Modi government has left the people of Jammu and Kashmir in complete despair and this is a grave national concern.
"How does Prime Minister Modi propose to ensure peace
and normalcy in the state? When will the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and terror attacks on our soil stop? What is the economic roadmap for inclusion and progress for the people of J&K?" asked Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
The Congress said both the BJP and the PDP should take the responsibility for the present situation in the state.
"We have asked that by when the security scenario will be able to change and by when an atmosphere will be created by the Government of India and the Governor in Jammu and Kashmir so that elections can be held.
"So both Governor and Government of India will have to ensure that the security scenario be changed and law and order is maintained so that we can have elections, so that we do not have elections like we had in Parliament when there was seven per cent voting. We would like definitely a government of the people representing the state," he said.
He said the Congress is extremely concerned and pained
by the developments in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We caution the Modi government to correct its flawed approach and work for rebuilding the trust and restoration of normalcy in the state," he said.
Asked about the Congress's stand on elections in the state, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said, "Who wins or loses elections in Jammu and Kashmir, we do not care. We want peace and stability to be restored in the state."
Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Study Group formed by the Congress to monitor the situation in the trouble-torn state, held its meeting at the instance of the Congress president and reviewed the situation in the state after the imposition of Governor's rule after the BJP withdrew support to the PDP.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh chairs the group. Former home minister P Chidamabaram, Azad, Ambika Soni and state party chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir are its members.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Ambika Soni, said that without trying to win over the minds and hearts of all sections of people in the state, elections cannot be held there.
"For the simple reason of satisfying their lust for power to form government in Jammu and Kashmir, they have made the people of Jammu and Kashmir go through so much misery and torture," she told reporters.
"How does the Modi government propose to engage with various sections of the state in order to win their hearts and minds?" she asked, adding that how it plans to ensure peace and development in all the three regions of the state.
Azad said the people of India and Congress party shall be watching very closely BJP's actions and the forthcoming developments in the state and shall never forgive nor forget how the BJP government is responsible for pushing Jammu and Kashmir into "complete darkness".
"Our only interest is that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir improves and terrorism ends there and peace prevails. We want that the youth who are taking to guns should shun them and take pen in their hands instead and tourism and employment opportunities are created and a peaceful atmosphere is created," he said.
Azad also accused the BJP of killing the economy of Kashmir and said they cannot escape from this accountability. He alleged the BJP won elections mainly based on ending the Kashmir issue, but they ended the lives of Kashmiris, after BJP and PDP formed an "unethical" alliance.
Soni said the PDP-BJP government survived for this long only due to their hunger for power. Within a couple of months all their development promises were thrown into backburner and even basic needs have remained unfulfilled, she said.
"Being a national party, it was the BJP's responsibility to engage and build a trust with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and establish a roadmap for societal inclusion and development of all its three regions," according to a statement.
Ghulam Ahmed Mir said mainstream opposition parties in the state offered complete support to both the parties to solve the Kashmir issue, but that was another lie by BJP and PDP.
The erosion of stability in J&K was expected ever since PDP and BJP formed the government, he said, adding that they "betrayed" their own respective voters by allying with each other.
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