Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta on Sunday hit back at veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for dubbing the autocratic rule of maharajas “far better” than the current dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir. Azad had made the remark in a veiled attack at the BJP, after the traditional practice of the biannual ‘Darbar Move’ was scrapped by the J&K administration.

Under the Darbar Move, the civil secretariat and other offices used to function in Srinagar for six months of summer and move to Jammu for the remaining six months of the year. It was initiated by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had on June 20 announced the end of the practice.

Reacting to the statement of Azad, the BJP leader asked him to turn the pages of history and see how Maharaja Hari Singh was “disgraced by his Congress party by thrusting exile upon him.”

Holding first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru responsible for all the “mess of terrorism and separatism” in J&K, Gupta said, “Today when the government has reversed the movement towards J&K’s secession and disintegration of the nation, Azad is turning a blind eye towards the realities just to oppose the BJP and its government at the Centre.”

Gupta questioned Azad as to why he was unable to see the ground realities and reminded him that stone-pelting that was in vogue in the Valley till recently has gone away and the terrorism graph too has dipped due to security forces showing no mercy to terrorists.

The former Dy CM also sought to remind Azad of the “unprecedented” developmental work going on across the Union Territory at an “unprecedented” pace.

“The development of highways, expressways, and other infrastructure bears testimony to the performance of the incumbent government that has successfully brought this terrorist-infested region out of the morass of yesteryears,” asserted Gupta.

“Why cannot Azad see thousands of youths in Kashmir queuing up for recruitment in Army, BSF and other belt forces in Kashmir and appreciate the change in the ground situation?” he asked.

The BJP leader said Azad being a senior Congress leader needs to realise that opposition parties are duty-bound to resort to constructive opposition and not fiddle with this significant responsibility.

“You cannot oppose every step including that on the Durbar Move taken by the government just for the sake of opposing,” he said.

“The erstwhile state of J&K had been plunged into uncertainty by Nehru in league with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah due to their wrong policies and vested interests due to which the common people became the worst sufferers,” he claimed.