BJP dumps Mehbooba Mufti

​Srinagar/New Delhi: More than three years after they formed an uneasy coalition, the BJP on Tuesday pulled out of the PDP-led Jammu and Kashmir government, citing growing terror activities and radicalisation in the valley making its continuance "untenable".

Announcing the party's sudden decision at a hurriedly-called press conference, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and nine other ministers from the party have tendered their resignation to Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The state leaders were called to the national capital for urgent consultations.      

The move came less than a year ahead of the 2019 general elections and a couple of months after the BJP had replaced its Deputy Chief Minister in the wake of outrage over Kathua rape incident. It also came two days after the Centre decided not to continue with the ceasefire. 

"After reviewing the work of the government in the last three years and after consultations with the Union Home Ministry and the agencies and after consultations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, we have come to the conclusion that it is difficult for the coalition to move forward in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It has become untenable for the BJP to continue the alliance in Jammu and Kashmir in the situation that has developed today. Terrorism and violence have increased in the valley and radicalization is fast spreading. Fundamental rights of citizens and right to free speech of people have come under threat in the valley as symbolized by the murder of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari in broad daylight in Srinagar," Madhav said.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP formed a coalition more than two months after the December 2014 elections returned a hung verdict, in which the PDP got 28 seats and the BJP 25, while the National Conference with 15 and Congress managed to win 12 in a House of 89. 

The government came to power on March 1, 2015. The BJP leader said that the coalition was formed with an intention of restoring peace in Kashmir and encouraging fast development in all the three regions of the state, including Jammu and Ladakh.

Mehbooba Mufti, who resigned as Chief Minister said her state isn't "enemy" territory, and that a "muscular policy" won't work there. "The alliance was for reconciliation. It was for confidence building measure. 

It was for better relations with Pakistan," Mehbooba said adding that alliance was her 'father's vision'. Mehbooba said that her party managed to protect Article 370 in the state. "PDP workers had to face a lot, but they stood by us and supported us. We did all what we could by withdrawing cases and vouching for ceasefire, our efforts would continue in future too," she added.

Just minutes earlier, Omar Abdullah -- a member of the opposition National Conference party -- ruled out forming a new alliance and called for elections at the earliest possible moment. He said his party wasn't celebrating the break-up of the BJP-PDP alliance but mourning the "demise of democracy". "Don't be under this mistake and illusion that we are celebrating the fallout of PDP-BJP. We are not. We are mourning the demise of democracy in the state," Omar told reporters.

Reacting to Ram Madhav's statement regarding the possible reasons behind the split Omar said, "If BJP is giving such kind of reasons then they both (PDP and BJP) are responsible for the current deteriorating situation in Kashmir."