BJP’s game of polarisation in J&K is bound to fail: Vikramaditya Singh of Congress

Published : Apr 10, 2019 16:18 IST

Vikramaditya Singh, Congress candidate in Udhampur arrives at Jadd village in Debhra tehsil on the campaign trail. Photograph: Anando Bhakto

Vikramaditya Singh, Congress candidate in Udhampur arrives at Jadd village in Debhra tehsil on the campaign trail. Photograph: Anando Bhakto

Vikramaditya Singh, Congress candidate from Udhampur, is the grandson of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, and the son of senior Congress leader Karan Singh, who represented Udhampur four times in the past. He takes on the BJP’s heavyweight incumbent MP, Jitendra Singh. Vikramaditya Singh tells Frontline in an exclusive interview at the Hari Niwas Palace, his ancestral home in Jammu, that the BJP’s communal rhetoric will not earn it votes as there is a marked discontent against the Narendra Modi government’s lacklustre performance. Excerpts:

The political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir has been about competitive aspirations in “nationalist” Jammu dominated by the BJP versus a Muslim majority Kashmir. In this polarised atmosphere, how confident are you of putting up a good show against Jitendra Singh, who is seeking re-election?

The BJP’s game of polarisation is bound to fail in this election, as people here relate to our family, and see Jammu and Kashmir’s identity in the larger context of our family’s identity and the legacy it has left behind. My family created the state of Jammu and Kashmir by putting together a huge geographical region, spanning once to Tibet, China, and Afghanistan, and cultivating a sense of unity amongst people who belonged to a multi-lingual and multi-cultural background. Ahead of the 2014 general election, the BJP injected a sense of hate, uncertainty, fear and competitiveness in the different regions of the State in order to gain a foothold in the State. The outcome of their divisionary and communal politics was the havoc and destruction that unfolded across the country and impeded India’s growth. The BJP made a host of economic promises in 2014, none of which is close to being fulfilled as we stare at another general election. In order to cover up its failure at governance, it is continuing to harp on an overtly communal line. But that will not come to their rescue.

How do you view the crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir and the ban on Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front?

When it comes to defending the integrity of India, protecting its interests against internal and external threats and containing terrorism, the entire nation is one. We stand for freedom of expression and speech for all, but when particular groups in the Kashmir Valley attempt to draw up an Islamic identity for the State of Jammu and Kashmir that becomes a problem. We need to guard against such designs. The aspirations in Kashmir are different from those in Jammu, although the political voice in the Valley has been predominant. It is only now that we have come out vocally with our narrative. Now, our voice is also being heard.

While the BJP has been persistently batting for the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, the Valley continues to resist such a move. What is your position on J&K’s special status?

Let’s not politicise it. It is a complex constitutional issue. Let us first understand what role it has played in the integration of the State and whether the benefits of the provisions are percolating down to all or to just a handful of people.

Do you see any underlying design in the decision to stall the Assembly elections in the State, which most believed would be held simultaneously with parliamentary elections?

In Jammu and Kashmir, all political parties, save the BJP, advocated that the Assembly and general elections be held simultaneously. The same was communicated to the Election Commission as well. But the BJP was not comfortable. The Centre decided against simultaneous elections citing security issues. But only a few months back the Centre had credited itself with the successful and violence-free conduct of panchayat and urban local bodies’ elections. How does the Centre then justify its decision to not hold Assembly elections.

The Congress underperformed in the Jammu Municipal Corporation election last October, retaining only 14 of the 25 seats it had won in 2005. How confident are you about the party’s performance in the Assembly elections when they are held?

It is true that our performance in the elections to the local bodies was not as per our expectation, but generally people have a tendency to vote for the party that is in power at the Centre. But we did better in the panchayat elections. As far as the Assembly elections are concerned, there is a marked discontent in the people against BJP legislators. People have realised that it was a mistake to vote for the BJP which was high on rhetoric and low on delivery. They are rooting for the Congress in a big way. The Congress is well placed in the Assembly elections, which is why we have been advocating that they should be held without delay.

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