Jammu, Sep 26 (Reporter) Senior Congress leader, Rajya Sabha MP, and AICC Working Committee member Rajiv Shukla cautioned the people on Thursday against the dangerous gameplan of the BJP for encouraging anti-national and separatist leaders for petty political gains. “BJP is playing with the fire in Jammu and Kashmir by hobnobbing with separatists and anti-national elements to defeat the Congress and the National Conference in the elections," Shukla here said while addressing a press conference at Jammu. “The upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir are of utmost importance, with repercussions that will be felt across the entire country," the Congress leader said. “The people of J&K have an opportunity to send a strong and positive message through these elections,” he appealed to the people. The BJP and the Central government are engaged in a dangerous nexus with separatist elements in the region. Their actions appear to be aimed at demoralising nationalist forces like the National Conference (NC) and the Congress. “By supporting separatists to defeat the NC and Congress, the BJP is playing with fire in J&K. We caution the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the Centre's true agenda is to weaken nationalist parties by aligning with anti-national elements," he said. “Engaging in political rivalry does not mean one should stoop to supporting separatists or other divisive forces. This betrayal exposes the BJP’s double standards. While they claim to stand for national unity, their actions here prove otherwise," Shukla said. Lambasting the BJP for not granting statehood to J&K, Shukla said, “Unfortunately, the promise of restoring statehood has been betrayed by the current government. The historic state of Jammu and Kashmir deserves statehood without further delay, and this continued denial is an injustice to its people.”. “BJP’s so-called Hindu face has also been exposed, as seen in the Tirupati Balaji Parasad controversy," he said, adding, “The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have maintained a criminal silence on this sensitive issue, revealing their disregard for the emotions and religious sentiments of the people.”. “In Andhra Pradesh, the previous regime had aligned itself with the BJP," he said. “The BJP shamelessly manipulates Hinduism for political gains. The silence of their leaders over the Parasad issue at Tirupati Balaji is a glaring example of their hypocrisy. The residents of Ayodhya have already taught them a lesson," he said. “The BJP is pushing Jammu and Kashmir deeper into crisis. The introduction of smart meters has caused an unprecedented hike in power tariffs, hitting the common people hard," he said, adding, “Outsider contractors, many of whom are either affiliated with the BJP or hail from Gujarat, are being awarded contracts, sidelining local workers.”. Pointing toward a spike in terror activities in Jammu province, he said, "WWhere is the so-called normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir? Militancy is spreading into the Jammu region.”. “The corruption has crossed all limits, unemployment remains high, and development has come to a standstill. There is no significant industrial growth, particularly in Jammu," he observed, adding, “Additionally, the imposition of a toll tax in the region is another example of how the BJP is exploiting the people. The Congress, in contrast, has always ensured that substantial funds were allocated for the development of Jammu and Kashmir during its tenure.”. National war room chairman of the party, Gokul Patel, and AICC Media Coordinators Dolly Sharma and Onika Mehrotra were also present. “As we head into the final phases of the elections, we are receiving encouraging feedback from the ground. I am confident that the National Conference-Congress alliance will form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir, and we will restore both development and dignity to this historic state," Shukla said...////...