Click to play videoNew Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said political parties should think beyond party politics and try and maintain peace in the state. In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN, Azad said unity of the state is the priority.
“Jammu has been affected. Earlier there used to be tens of thousands of yatris but now the number has reduced drastically. Economy is badly hit, hotels, dhabas are all empty. Taxi drivers, shikaras are also hit. The number of pilgrimages have gone down to 5,000. Situation is bad and political parties are responsible for the situation. Elections are going to be in the state in the next month and them Parliament elections going to be held,” he said.
In Jammu Congress says it stands with the BJP on the issue of the Amarnath land transfer. Asked if there is there a secret handshake here, Azad said, “None of the Congress leaders is siding with the BJP. Only when the Hurriyat Conference raised the issue of the transfer of land, the PDP and other parties jumped into the frame. It doesn't mean they are together. It is just that the party associates with the people of Jammu.”
There has been complete polarisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a state. Azad said the unity was their first priority. “Unity of the state is very important at this point. Each political party has to rise above the occasion and see the that communal harmony is maintained in the state. I request the BJP to stop playing with fire and help the government in maintaining peace and harmony,” he said.
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