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| BJP's move to engage Islamic clerics to get votes draws flak from valley residents | | | Mudasir Tariq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 7: Bharatiya Janata Party's move of engaging Islamic clerics in Kashmir to woo voters in order to boost its chances to win the state election has drawn flak among masses and the move is being criticized at large.
The BJP is going all out in the Valley with the target of winning 44 of the state's 87 assembly seats. Majority of the people in Kashmir valley believe that the party is using religious card to fulfill its interests.
According to the reports a key campaigner for the party is Deoband-based Maulana Suhaib Qasmi who heads the Jamaat Ulema-e-Hind. Qasmi has already delivered many lectures in several madrassas of the valley to help BJP to gain a strong footing in valley.
Qasmi's endorsement of the BJP hasn't surprised analysts since he openly supported Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha polls this year. Experts believe that the focus of the clerics on madrassas of the valley to reach out to the masses will only have adverse effects on the party and BJP's mission 44+ may get washout.
"They are focusing on madrassas, as the people admire these molvis. Since they want to politicize the religion, this way they will only gain hatred among masses of valley. They cannot change the mindset of the people," said Prof. Hilal Naqashband, a political analyst.
Meanwhile several groups of people are of the opinion that the party relies on the division of the society in order to achieve its goal. "They are intending to change the traditional political set up of the Kashmir. They are focusing on small communities and are dividing us to ensure party's entry into the assembly," said a group of university students.
People allege that the party has used religious clerics apart from its allies who are offered different incentives to work for the party at ground level. Some locals seem to be infuriated against the party by involving religious preachers for their political gains.
"I don't understand why they are doing this. This is really dirty politics. Initially they targeted Shias, then Gujjars and now the religious preachers. This way BJP will only bring people against it and reduce its chances of win," said Farooq Bhat, a shopkeeper.
However many experts are of the opinion that the move will not yield any concrete results for the party and it may cost the party to lose precious vote bank. |
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