Pak, Kashmiri leaders sabotaging normalcy in Valley: Rana

Jammu, Aug 18: Senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana Friday lashed out at Pakistan and some Kashmiri leaders, trying to sabotage peaceful atmosphere, by sending a misleading message across the country on normalcy in the Valley to push forward the agenda of the terror-secessionist ecosystem.
He said Pakistan’s latest move to appoint Mishaal Hussain Malik as Human Rights Minister hailed by certain Kashmiri leaders is an indication to slate the Kashmir sabotage plan across. But they forget that New Delhi is a New Delhi of New India which will not only fail all their attempts but teach them a lesson on their soil if need arises, he added.
“Their politics over the last seven decades has thrived on conflict, disorder and mayhem”, Rana said while interacting with various deputations during weekly public hearing at the BJP headquarters here, along with Mrs Veenu Khanna, BJP State Secretary and Mr Danish Mishra Vice President , BJP Yuva Morcha, adding that transformed Kashmir has instilled new life, new hope for Kashmiris and has cast a spell of doom on certain political players of J&K and their patrons across.
“1.80 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir last year and two crores are expected this year in the aftermath of normalcy dawning with shutdown and stone pelting culture becoming a nightmare of the past”, Mr Rana said, asking isn’t it a parameter of normalcy.
He attributed the false propaganda of Pakistan and Kashmiri dejected political players as a sinister design to deprive the people of Kashmir of their legitimate right to live peacefully and pursue their economic activities, which appeared to be a distant dream a few years ago. The Valley based so-called mainstream political class has a vested interest in boiling Kashmir to remain glued to power. On the one side they had been assuring the Delhi power corridors about working towards ending the unrest in the valley and on the other hand they were exploiting religious and separatist sentiments back home. The double edged weapon served their political interests well till the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which ended their political hegemony, deceit and duplicity. Isn’t it a food for thought for the peace loving people of Kashmir to understand how the hartal and shutdown culture came to an end after disempowering the political parties with vested interest, he asked, seeking an independent probe to find the truth of the widespread belief that the stone pelting had been a weapon of political class.
“By playing double game, the politicians like Mehbooba Mufti and others have neither done any good to the people of Kashmir nor to New Delhi, which sincerely endeavoured for peace, progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir”, Mr Devender Rana said, adding that these rejected politicians have been pursuing politics of convenience during the past over seven decades. They can abuse New Delhi from rooftops and belittle the pride of innocent Kashmiris at will, he said and cited how Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister mocked at the youngsters killed during countering stone-pelting by saying “Woh Kya Toffee Lene Gaye Thay”. But for the snub of a senior Union Minister flanking her in the presser, she would not have stopped there, he observed, saying this speaks volumes about the sensitivities of politicians with vested interest.
Devender Rana hoped that the people of Kashmir would foil the game plan of these leaders, who were feeling uncomfortable due to economic activity and tourism trade in the Valley besides large scale investments pouring in to carve out Naya Jammu and Kashmir as per the dreams of suffering masses.
“When doubts about normalcy are echoed by the persons having held constitutional positions, the tourists across the nation and abroad will have double thoughts before embarking on holidaying in the serene and peaceful Valley”, he said, adding this will certainly jeopardise the ongoing brisk and peak tourism season. He hoped that the right thinking people will take cognizance of such anti-Kashmir rhetoric and stand for the economic interests of lakhs of families, who have got a reason to cheer after nearly three decades.