BJP misguiding people on united India, says NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday took potshots at the ruling party over Kashmir, a day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah virtually turned next month’s Maharashtra Assembly elections into a referendum on the Centre’s decision to scrap Article 370.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged the government wants to give away plots at prime tourist spots in Kashmir to big business houses. He also clarified that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will not be part of the opposition alliance.

“We accept that now there will be no separate flag for Kashmir, but why a separate flag and passport was allowed for Nagaland? The BJP is misguiding people on united India. It is only trying to defame other political parties,” said Malik. “Raising Kashmir issue in Maharashtra also means they have no development work to show.”

Malik said, “Kashmir is an integral part of India. But it has three types of people – who want to be part of Pakistan, who want a separate country and the majority, which wants to be a part of India. They were the same who had formed government with the BJP. The NCP is of the view that the government should have discussed the move with them before removing Article 370.” He also alleged that BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was booked under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for allegedly harbouring associates of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in 1996. Singh currently represents Kaiserganj Lok Sabha constituency in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh. “A few IT cell representatives of the BJP were found linked with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI,” the NCP Mumbai president said.

No tie-up with MNS

Malik declared that the Congress and NCP will not tie up with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the state Assembly elections. “A few alliance partners were of the view that the MNS shouldn’t be made part of our alliance. Hence it was unanimously decided that no pact will be made. In the Lok Sabha elections, too, the MNS wasn’t part of the alliance.”

Meanwhile, four flying squads have been formed to keep an eye on poll code violations in Panvel. Also, Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant has demanded posters at petrol pumps donning pictures of PM Narendra Modi be taken off immediately.

First Published: Sep 23, 2019 22:06 IST