Crackdown on separatists will continue, says Ram Madhav

A day after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti promised to lift the ban on separatist JKLF and socio-religious Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), BJP national secretary Ram Madhav has said that the crackdown on separatists will continue.

“The BJP is the mainstream party in Kashmir now. These [regional] parties said they were boycotting [the urban local bodies elections] to save Article 370. Now they are in the fray to save their political future,” Mr. Madhav said here on Wednesday.

He said people in Kashmir only wanted peace, development and electoral rights, while regional parties disturbed the peace as it suited them. “The reason behind the ban on JeI and JKLF was to establish peace in the Valley. There is peace now. As the regional parties are looking for revocation of the ban, they actually want the atmosphere to get polluted again.”

He said the ban on separatism and anti-militancy operations “will remain constant to restore the peaceful atmosphere in the valley.”

He called for filing an FIR against National Conference candidate Akbar Lone who, in a viral video, is seen raising pro-Pakistan slogans during an election rally in north Kashmir.

“Such slogans are aimed at misleading people,” said Mr. Madhav.