BJP failed to end terrorism, establish peace in J-K: Former CM Harish Rawat ahead of assembly polls

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 8 : Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed that the party has failed to fulfil any of the promises it had made after the abrogation of Article 370.
He said all of three goals -- Eliminating terrorism, bringing peace in Jammu and Kashmir, and rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandits -- remain unfulfilled.
"They (BJP) have nothing to tell the people. They have promised the people that there are three goals of abrogation of Article 370 - elimination of terrorism, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, and peace in Kashmir. none of these goals have been achieved. That's the reason they are talking about the National Conference," Rawat told ANI.
The former Uttarakhand Chief Minister exuded confidence that the NC-Congress alliance will form government in the upcoming Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Our alliance will form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference has deep roots in every village of Kashmir. Without its participation, there will not be any long-term peace in the Kashmir valley. That is why we have aligned with the National Conference. The alliance is in the interest of the nation of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Notably, the Congress and National Conference are contesting the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections together.
Rawat, however, evaded the question on NC Vice President Omar Abdullah's recent remarks, where he said he did not believe any purpose was served by "executing" Afzal Guru. The former CM said Congress is not responsible for what the NC leader had said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Omar Abdullah for his remarks, terming his comments representing the "separatist mentality."
"I heard that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Sahab said that Afzal Guru should not have been hanged. I want to ask him that Afzal Guru should not have been hanged; should he have been garlanded publicly? And these people claim that they will restore Article 370," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Ramban on Sunday.
The assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.
These are the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and also the first in around 10 years.
Omar Abdullah, who lost the Lok Sabha election from Baramulla, is contesting from two constituencies -- Ganderbal and Budgam.