Srinagar: Accusing Pakistan of orchestrating "cowardly attacks" in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP today said the people of the state would give a befitting response by taking part in the democratic exercise and surpassing the turnout recorded in the first two phases of the Assembly elections.
"Yesterday's violence was an attack on the Indian democracy and demonstrate frustration due to heavy turnout of voters (in the first two phases)...The people of Jammu and Kashmir will respond the bullets with ballots and will foil the nefarious designs of Pakistan and those who are working at its behest," former Union minister and senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here.
Militants struck at four places in the Valley yesterday including an army camp in border town of Uri which left 11 security personnel and eight militants dead. Two civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in one of the grenade explosions at Tral in Pulwama district.
The BJP leader said the "cowardly attacks" were carried out as Pakistan and those working at its behest were "frustrated" after witnessing heavy turnout in the first two phases of the Assembly polls as they felt the elections would strengthen the link between the state and the country.
Hussain, who was here to campaign for the party ahead of the third phase of Assembly polls, said he visited Tral township to convey a message that BJP would not be "cowed down" by such attacks.
"We are not going to be demoralised (by such acts)," he said reiterating that his party will form the next government in both Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand.
"The BJP will form the next government and address the injustice meted out by National Conference, Congress and PDP governments in the past," he said.
The BJP leader said the people of Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of their religion, have high hopes with the Prime Minister and the BJP.
"Today is my ninth day in Jammu and Kashmir and everyone, whether from minority or majority, came forward in large numbers. The people have high hopes with Modi as they feel he will address their issues," he said claiming that the people are taking part in the elections in good numbers to get rid of three families - Nehru, Abdullah and Mufti.
"People are voting against these three families. They have attached high hopes with BJP," he said.
He said this is for the first time that BJP is taking part in the elections with full might and the party is hopeful of getting majority in the state.
"The (BJP president) Amit Shah led campaign of mission 44+ will be successful," he said.
Asked about Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's criticism of BJP on the failure to clear its stand on Article 370 which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Hussain said "Omar should clear his stand first.
"He (Omar) ruled the state for the last six years. What he had done? He should give the account of development undertaken by his government first," he said adding BJP is fighting the assembly polls in the state on the plank of development and betterment of the people.
He accused Omar and opposition PDP leadership of deliberately misleading the people from the real issues.
"They are scared of fighting the elections on the issue of development... They are deliberately raking up unnecessary issues. This is assembly elections. Government will be formed. The development will take place and the employed youth will be given jobs by BJP," he said.
He said National Conference, Congress and PDP are trying to scare the people but "we know that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are god-fearing people and cannot be scared of BJP."
