Talk of shame for BJP. Need for an end to its criticism

It’s a shame that the BJP is choosing to overlook the demands as a tough action was taken against its Jammu area MLA, Lal Singh, for threatening the media in the Kashmir Valley. The MLA recently threatened the press that they may suffer the same fate as prominent editor Shujaat Bukhari, who was murdered in a targeted assassination in Srinagar just before Eid-ul-Fitr, if they didn’t change their “narrative”.

This is another way of saying that the criticism of BJP has to stop. The ruling party has been widely censured for taking advantage of Kashmir’s politics and has not been concerned about policies that caused a substantial number of deaths of civilians in the anti-terrorist operations.

The condemnable observation of Mr Singh does lead to speculation whether he has some knowledge of the cold-blooded murder of the Rising Kashmir editor.

The MLA has to appear before the official inquiry into the Bukhari assassination. The MLA appears to be a serial offender. He was a minister in the PDP-BJP government whose life ended after the BJP withdrew support to chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, leading her to resign. In the wake of the Kathua rape-murder of a tribal Muslim child, he had come out in open defence of the small coterie that allegedly committed the crime at a temple.

Mr Singh must be questioned on this too by the court when the matter is brought up for trial. By harbouring such elements, a national party like the BJP has done no favours for itself. The party evidently fears that acting against the likes of Mr Singh will affect its Jammu base in the next Lok Sabha polls.