Regional leaders creating fear for their own interest: Ram Madhav

In a veiled attack against the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) over the additional deployment of troops here, BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said local political leaders are creating an environment of fear for their "selfish motives".

Addressing media here, Madhav asserted that Assembly elections should be conducted soon in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Local political leaders are creating an environment of fear here (Jammu and Kashmir) for their selfish motives. Steps being taken by Centre are in accordance with the situation here. Security forces being deployed or taken back from Jammu and Kashmir, especially Kashmir, is a continuous process," Madhav said.

"Extra forces are deployed here during Amarnath Yatra, we also have to conduct block-level elections. But linking this to something else is only due to selfish motives. They are doing drama to protect themselves, now when action against corruption is being taken," he claimed.

Madhav's comments come after the NC and PDP opposed the Centre's move of deploying an additional 100 coys of CAPF to "strengthen the CI grid as well as for maintaining law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir."

Shortly after the Centre's decision on additional deployment of troops was announced, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had tweeted that the government needs to rethink and overhaul its policy regarding her state, as the decision created "fear psychosis" amongst people.

"Centre's decision to deploy additional 10,000 troops to the valley has created fear psychosis amongst people. There is no dearth of security forces in Kashmir. J&K is a political problem which won't be solved by military means. GOI needs to rethink & overhaul its policy," she had tweeted.

Hitting out at Mufti, Madhav said, "She's using such language to keep herself politically relevant. To protect their slipping political base fear is being created among people. We have to take forward work going on in Jammu and Kashmir. Assembly polls have to be conducted."

"She should go with such issues among people. Not even people from her own party come to her meetings, not even on its Foundation Day. So she's started using the language of 'Main barood uthaaoongi...haath jal jaega..." to create fear among people," he added.

The BJP leader pressed for the Election Commission of India to conduct elections in the state and said that his party will contest elections alone.

"We want the Assembly elections to be conducted as soon as possible. We have already started our preparations. New people should come forward, not just two families. Our party is ready if the Election Commission wants to conduct elections before January 2020. Our party will contest elections without any alliance," Madhav said.

( With inputs from ANI )