Ram Madhav and Union minister Jitendra Singh at the house of BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, who was killed in a militant attack last week, in Bandipora. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday said the Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly will be formed only once the delimitation exercise is complete in the Union Territory.

Madhav was in Kashmir to meet the family of senior BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, who along with his father Sheikh Bashir and younger brother Sheikh Umar Sultan was killed in a militant attack at Bandipora last week.

Speaking to the media in Srinagar afterwards, Madhav said, “…this time priority is to first fight COVID-19 now, then delimitation exercise will take place and then for UT, legislative Assembly will be formed. At an appropriate time, the government of India will decide about other matters as well,” Madhav told reporters in Srinagar.

When asked about security to political workers, Madhav said the administration is making all efforts. “Here all our workers, whatever security measures are required, it is being done by authorities…. Security arrangement was also made for our martyr Waseem Bari, but there was some mistake because of which tragedy took place. Authorities will definitely take action. Not only our workers, administration is making preparations to provide required security to all political workers,” he said.

The senior BJP leader also attacked the National Conference and PDP. “They are busy enjoying the virtual world of Twitter. They are not coming before the public and are they raising the people’s issues with the administration. They are acting irresponsibly. They should come forward before the public and work towards resolving the issues of common people,” he said.