'Anger' Among BJP's Jammu Votebank Over Ramzan Ceasefire Led to Break-Up, Say Sources

New Delhi: The BJP’s sudden decision to withdraw from an alliance with the PDP in J&K was motivated by the anger within the saffron party’s core vote bank in Jammu, sources said hours after the fall of Mehbooba Mufti government on Tuesday.

“Vote bank’s core vote bank in Jammu was upset. It became difficult for the state BJP leaders to even visit their constituencies because of the strong resentment among the people of Jammu,” a source told CNN-News18.

Other sources claimed that a top BJP leader was heckled in his constituency.

The position was taken by Mehbooba Mufti vis-à-vis the Kathua rape and murder case, and her insistence on extending the ‘Ramzan ceasefire’ on an operation against militants had also not gone down well with the BJP. The Union government conceded to her demand for suspension of operations during Ramzan, but the Jammu BJP was against the move.

A day after the killing of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari, deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta had told CNN-News18 that there was “no question of extending the Ramzan ceasefire anymore”. His statement came despite Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying a decision was yet to be taken.

Udhampur MP and Minister of State in PMO Jitender Singh had said that the ceasefire was not being reciprocated to and, therefore, there was no logic in continuing with it. "If followers of Islam can resort to stone-pelting and violence in the holy month of Ramzan, the onus is then not on us to maintain peace," he had said.

“A narrative was gaining ground that the Army's hands have been tied because of the Ramzan ceasefire," a source said.

BJP leaders reportedly told Rajnath Singh that it will prove to be a political disaster if a second attack were to take place on Amarnath yatris under the watch of the BJP-PDP government.

Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting at his residence with Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and senior officials of the Intelligence Bureau and his ministry to assess the ground situation in the sensitive state after the government’s fall.

The state is currently under Governor’s rule for the eighth time after President Ram Nath Kovind approval’s on Wednesday morning. This is the fourth time the state is going under central rule during NN Vohra’s tenure as Governor.