Srinagar: Bharatiya Janata Party J&K, General Secretary Ashok Koul Saturday stirred a row by calling mainstream leaders “frogs” who will “come out” during the election time.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the elections will be held in J&K and there will be ministers and chief minister. We too want polls to take place in J&K. Delimitation exercise is already on and when that will end, Assembly polls will be held,” Koul said while talking to reporters after unfurling the tri-colour at BJP headquarters in Srinagar.
Asked some mainstream leaders have said that they won’t contest the polls, Koul said they had claimed the same earlier too when panchayat polls were held.
“They didn’t contest panchayat polls, but joined the poll fray in Parliamentary election. I bet when poll bugle for the Assembly will be blown, all these mainstream leaders will come out of their homes like frogs and join the election fray,” Koul said, as per news agency Kashmir News Observer.
He said there were no “ifs and buts as far as Assembly polls are concerned.”
He said that the Government of India is committed to restore J&K’s statehood.
“But for that all guns should fall silent. Yesterday, two policemen were killed. What was their fault? One of the slain policemen was supposed to get engaged today,” Koul said.
“When people would start moving on rounds without fear, statehood will return,” he said.
About the security concerns of BJP workers, he said that the government and the police have already taken some steps and more will be done in the days ahead. (KNO inputs)
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