Meeting chaired by Farooq Abdullah non-event, assembly of rejected politicians: Devender Singh Rana

Jammu, Mar 11 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana on Saturday termed a Farooq Abdullah-led meeting of more than a dozen parties as a “non-event” and said this was an assembly of “rejected politicians” unnerved by Jammu and Kashmir’s progress towards peace and development.

The meeting chaired by former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference president Abdullah culminated with the decision to meet the Election Commission in Delhi for an early assembly election in the Union Territory and restoration of statehood.

The three-hour-long meeting, which was held at his residence here, also ended with a decision to meet national leaders from the Opposition camp in Delhi.

Describing the meet as a “non-event”, Rana, a former legislator, said it was an assembly of “rejected, dejected, confused and frustrated politicians who are unnerved over the momentous changes brought in Jammu and Kashmir under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that have steered the Union Territory from a dark alley of death, destruction and gloom to become a bright, resurgent, peaceful and developing part of the country”.

“The opposition cannot derail Jammu and Kashmir’s tryst with peace and normalcy,” he said and cautioned those part of the meet “not to assume the role of agent provocateurs to mislead the people for furthering their nefarious political agenda”.

Peace and normalcy across Jammu and Kashmir is a sort of threat to their political existence and thus, they smell rat in all that is being done for the overall good of the Union Territory, he alleged.

Politically matured people understand the gimmicks of the self seeking political actors, who can go to any extent to remain relevant in politics, Rana said.

The BJP leader also said that the meet was of all those who have “developed vested interest over the decades in boiling Kashmir to bake their political loaves and sustain their enterprise” and advised them to shun “opposition for the sake of opposition”.

Peaceful and resurgent Jammu and Kashmir is against the scheme of things of some political entities who feel uncomfortable with normalcy dawning and the Union Territory treading on the path of development and prosperity, Rana said.

“Every segment of society is part of the growth story and those pretending to be oblivious of the change taking place in both the regions (Jammu as well as Kashmir), irrespective of religion and caste, are betraying their sense of understanding,” he said.

Referring to tourism in Kashmir, Rana said last year, the Valley witnessed record tourist footfall that was incomprehensible years ago when the region was pushed to a “dark alley of bandhs and stone pelting”.

That situation has now totally changed with economic activity gaining momentum, development getting impetus and people’s participation in governance becoming predominantly discernible, the BJP leader.