Let Election time come, I bet all the mainstream leaders will come out of their homes like frogs: Ashok Koul, says statehood only when last gun of militants will fall silent in J&K
Abid Bashir
Srinagar: Bharatiya Janata Party J&K General Secretary Ashok Koul Saturday stirred a row by calling mainstream leaders other that those with the BJP as frogs, stating that “let election time come, all the political leaders will come out to join the fray.”
“Prime Minister Narendera Modi has announced the elections will be held in J&K and there will be ministers and chief minister. We too want polls to take place in J&K. Delimitation exercise is already on and when that will end, Assembly polls will be held,” Koul said while talking to reporters after unfurling tri-colour at BJP headquarters in Srinagar on the eve of 74th Independence Day.
Asked some mainstream leaders have stated that they won’t contest polls, Koul said they had claimed the same earlier too when panchayat polls were held. “They didn’t contest panchayat polls, but joined poll fray in Parliamentary election. I bet when poll bugle for the Assembly will be blown, all these mainstream leaders will come out of their homes like frogs and join the poll pray,” Koul said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)
Koul said that Prime Minister Narendera Modi announced about holding Assembly polls in J&K from the Red Fort. “We need to be ready about the new political process,” he said.
As per KNO, Koul while felicitating the people of J&K on the eve of 74th Independence Day, he said there are no “ifs and buts as far as Assembly polls are concerned.” Asked about the restoration of statehood, he said that GoI is committed to restore the state status to the J&K. “But for that all guns should fall silent. Yesterday, two policemen were killed. What was their fault? One of the slain policemen was supposed to get engaged today,” Koul said. “When people would start moving on rounds without fear, statehood will return.”
About the security concerns of BJP workers, he said government and the police have already taken some steps and more will be done in the days ahead. On why internet was snapped on I-Day eve even when J&K is now a UT, he said that 2-G is working fine and when last gun of militants will fall silent and separatist activities would stop permanently, “statehood and 4-G should be restored on the very day.”—(KNO)
