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BJP-PDP alliance off to a rocky start

The hazards of forming a coalition government with the PDP in J&K have struck the BJP early than it would have thought.

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J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed during the guard of honour at the Secretariat in Jammu on Monday
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The hazards of forming a coalition government with the PDP in J&K have struck the BJP early than it would have thought.

Soon after the freshly anointed chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed credited anti-India Hurriyat, militant outfits and people from across the borders for smooth conduct of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, eight PDP MLAs tossed up a tough demand at the Centre on Monday by demanding the return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Putting Guru on the death row was one of the main demands of the BJP and when he was finally hanged on February 9, 2013 at Delhi's Tihar Jail, BJP was at the front to applaud Congress led UPA's government much delayed action.

The demand for the return of Guru's mortal remains, however, is expected to acquire shriller pitch in Kashmir, and according to some senior government officials has the potential to put the central government at unease in near future as it will have fewer options at its disposal because of the coalition government.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh was prompt to disassociate both the government and the BJP from Mufti's controversial statement.

"The credit for conducive environment for polls in Jammu and Kashmir goes to the Election Commission, our armed forces and people of Jammu and Kashmir," Singh said in Lok Sabha even as an agitated opposition demanded a statement from PM Modi on the matter.

However, lack of a strong rebuttal by the government has left several in the security establishment twist in unease.

"It was the valour of the security forces alone that broke the back of Pakistan sponsored militant outfits and gave the people the confidence to vote without fear. The number of militants has dropped down to their lowest to 45 in the valley at present because of some excellent operations done by the Army, J&K's Special Operation Group and the central armed police forces," said an official on conditions of anonymity.

The Army virtually plugged all infiltration routes along the LoC thereby increasing pressure on the Pakistan to cough up more for maintaining launching pads and terrorist camps in PoK where about 220 fully trained are waiting for the right moment.

According to highly placed sources, Pakistan's ISI had spent about Rs100 crore to equip militants with logistics like snow boots, thermal wear, GPS and skiing equipment to help them infiltrate before elections but that went in the drain because of very tough marking by the Army along the border.

Adding to the BJP worries are noises made by the opposition that is looking for every opportunity to discredit the Modi government and want to make the coalition fail.

"We want PM Narendra Modi to speak on matter in Parliament and condemn the statement given by Jammu and Kashmir chief minister so that a clear message can be given," Congress Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose grandson's wedding was attended by the PM, too backed the demand.

In Rajya Sabha too, there was a furore over Sayeed's statement. Congress MP Shantaram Naik called Sayeed's statement "anti-national" and alleged that among the 24 ministers sworn-in on Sunday, one was the brother of a Hurriyat leader and has a Pakistani wife.

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