Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday accused the BJP of subverting the Election Commission to an extent that it was no more an independent body.
She alleged that the Election Commission has become "an extension" of the BJP. "It will do whatever the BJP tells it to do." "Election commission has been subverted to an extent that it is no more the independent body of which the country was proud. Our election commissioners were invited by other countries to seek expert advice on conducting elections," Ms Mufti told reporters in Khiram area of Anantnag district.
She said the Election Commission has failed to act against the BJP even though the ruling party has violated the laws.
"In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP leadership campaigned for polls on religious basis. Muslims are being threatened openly but election commission remains a silent spectator," the PDP leader said.
The former chief minister said election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held only when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gives a go ahead for it.
"How can I say when elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir? That will be decided by the Election Commission and the commission will announce elections when the BJP says so," she said.
On the issue of governance, Mufti said the present government was bent upon reversing everything.
"Look at our Kashmiri Pandits who are camping in Jammu for several months now. They are demanding that they be relocated to Jammu till the situation improves in Kashmir. But the government is sometimes stopping their salaries and sometimes stopping their ration," she said.
The PDP president claimed that the BJP was only exploiting the pain of Kashmiri Pandits to garner votes in elections.
"They are not bothered about anyone, be it Kashmiri Pandits or anyone else. They only want to win elections," she added.
Lashing at the PDP chief, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday said her allegation that ECI has become puppet of BJP reflects her "frustration."
"Her (Mehbooba Mufti) allegation that election commission of India has become puppet of BJP, purely reflects her frustration, as she is aware of her party's downfall in the democratic set up in Jammu and Kashmir," Chugh said.
"These politicians have always won riding on the boycott calls and proxy voters. They have misused the people's emotions and it was all good till the things suited them according to their plans,” the BJP leader said targeting the regional parties in the Union Territory.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
