Maharashtra coup: BJP murdered democracy, says opposition in J&K
Ghulam Ahmad Mir, accused the BJP of murdering democracy and stifling the voice of the opposition after the national party formed a government in the western state with the help of Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar.
Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir said on Saturday the “early morning coup” in Maharashtra was orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which “has been bulldozing constitutional provisions with impunity”.

The president of the Congress’ J&K unit, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, accused the BJP of murdering democracy and stifling the voice of the opposition after the national party formed a government in the western state with the help of Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar.
“The Constitution is being shredded into pieces and Maharashtra is the latest example,” Mir said.
“Last night, the BJP threatened Ajit Pawar of opening cases against him. The entire world knows that the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena had formed the CMP and were about to form the government today (Saturday),” he claimed.
The Congress leader said the BJP had been misusing all institutions like the governor’s house and other agencies.
“Maharashtra governor should have also exhibited wisdom. It is the biggest constitutional break down,” said Mir.
Former state education minister and chairperson of the Panthers Party Harsh Dev Singh said the BJP had crossed all limits in its lust for power.
“The party has no principles, no ideology and what matters to it is only the power, for which they bribe and blackmail. They have denigrated politics to the level of gutter. They have made a mockery of democracy,” he said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Firdous Tak said that the BJP has been bulldozing all constitutional provisions.
“The nation should wake up and understand dirty politics before it is too late,” he added.
The BJP’s J-K unit president Ravinder Raina said his party and the Shiv Sena fought elections as allies in Maharashtra and that Maharashtra’s people had “given their mandate to us”.
“The Shiv Sena compromised on the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray and joined hands with Congress. But today the BJP formed the government with NCP and Shiv Sena just kept watching like a mute spectator. Whatever has happened is good for the people of Maharashtra,” he added.
Raina denied opposition allegations that Ajit Pawar was forced into giving the BJP his support.
“The question of intimidating a leader like Ajit Pawar doesn’t arise at all. He is a big leader, a leader of the masses, who can’t be intimidated,” he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHORRavi Krishnan KhajuriaA principal correspondent, Ravi Krishnan Khajuria is the bureau chief at Jammu. He covers politics, defence, crime, health and civic issues for Jammu city.

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