Jammu, September 07: The BJP-PDP coalition government seems to have mastered the art of courting controversies and indulging in self destructive politics as otherwise why would the six month old government face the anti-incumbency factor among its electorate in its infancy itself.
The coalition that took more than a month to cobble up started showing the rift and confusion from the day one when Mufti Mohamed Sayeed created a flutter by crediting separatists, and Pakistan for smooth elections right in front of the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh.
The controversies have not spared the coalition partners since then and everyday there is one embarrassment or the other for the partners resulting in disappointment among the electorate of both the regions.
But Mufti being a shrewd politician has always played safe and letting the inexperienced BJP to face the wrath of the people in Jammu.
As if the AIIMS controversy was not enough the government has invented yet another controversy by levying 12.5 per cent service tax on Vaishnodevi pilgrims travelling from Katra to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi in helicopters.
The move has obviously set the Jammu region on fire with every political party worth its salt questioning the move and ridiculing the BJP for being a part and parcel of the decision to levy ‘Jaziya’ like tax on Vaishnodevi pilgrims and later calling for its revocation.
One wonders why BJP ministers have been acting as novices even after six months of being in power and creating a chain of self destructive controversies that will only affect the party in Jammu and benefit other political parties of the region.
Even though PDP has also been losing ground fast in Kashmir it is BJP that has been facing the major embarrassments back home.
The levying of tax on Vaishnodevi pilgrims might be justified economically but it can prove a political disaster for the party in Jammu where people have already started questioning its silence before the PDP right from the beginning.
The party has also been issuing ridiculous statements saying it was not consulted before taking the decision on tax but the question is how this coalition is going to run successfully when none of the its ministers are consulted while taking major decisions relating to Jammu region.
The controversies have only put the BJP on defensive while the blame game has already started in the political circles with opposition and other parties blaming BJP for its silence and the BJP blaming PDP for ignoring it.
The congress on the other hand has been lucky enough to get most controversial issues on a platter and with a sharp politician like GA Mir at the helm it is cashing in on the follies of BJP calling the tax similar to ‘Jaziya’ which Mughals used to levy on Hindus.
Even as BJP has initiated damage control exercise with BJP general secretary Ram Madhav saying he has talked to deputy Chief Minister asking him to discuss the issue with Chief Minister the local right wing parties are up in arms against the BJP while National Conference too has joined the fray saying such ‘Jaziya’ won’t be allowed by the party.
The interesting thing to watch in J&K is the daily twists and turns in the coalition government sending wrong signals among the public who are still skeptical about the credibility of the government and waiting for its imminent fall.
Whatever be the fate of the coalition the events unfolding like this would only aggravate the problem further keeping the government busy in explain rather than focusing on development which is still to see the light of the day in the state. In the meanwhile blame game continues.