Appoint a Hindu CM in J&K, only Muslims as CMs won't be tolerated: Subramanian Swamy

Swamy claimed that Hindutva and not economic development is going to help the BJP win votes.

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday blamed former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for imposing a tradition of having only Muslims as Chief Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir and opined that the new CM should be a Hindu face. "There should be a Hindu CM in J&K. If the PDP has a Hindu or a Sikh member we can make that member the CM. The tradition imposed by Nehru that there would only be a Muslim CM in J&K will not be tolerated," Swamy said.

Claiming that Hindutva is going to help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Swamy said that economic development won't bring in votes. "Economic development is not going to bring in votes. (Former prime minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayeeji used 'India Shining' as his government's campaign motto but failed. The BJP promised reassertion in its faith (Hindutva) and a corruption-free government. Hence, it won so many seats in 2014," the Rajya Sabha member said.

While speaking at a function titled "India's Grand Narrative", organised by the Virat Hindustan Sangam in Mumbai on Sunday, Swamy had said that the Centre needed to be given another five-year term in order to fulfil its promises. 

"I will not say that we have fulfilled all the promises we made in 2014, but we have started honouring them. We need five more years to complete what we have started," he had said.

The coalition government between Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended in June after the latter pulled its support stating that it had become untenable to continue with the PDP government in Kashmir. 

Jammu and Kashmir has since been under Governor's rule, the fourth time since 2008 and eight time since 1977. 

Ever since the alliance broke off, there have been reports that the BJP is in touch with disgruntled PDP legislators who are likely to join hands and play a key part in forming a government in the state.