After joining BJP, Mankotia slams AAP for not working according to J&K people's aspiration

Former president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and ex-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Balwant Singh Mankotia on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union ministers Jitendra Singh and Rajeev Chandrasekhar. and party general secretary Tarun Chugh. 

Speaking to Republic over his decision to join the saffron party, Balwant Singh Mankotia said, "The BJP has fulfilled the demand of giving holiday. I was there in AAP for some time. But then after looking at its policies, I realised that I cannot continue with this party. AAP opposed the public holiday on Hari Singh's birthday. I cannot be in a party that does not work according to the aspiration of the Jammu and Kashmir people."

It is pertinent to mention that after leaving the JKNPP, Mankotia, a two-time MLA had initially joined the Aam Aadmi Party but was recently removed. AAP expelled Mankotia from the party for anti-party activities on September 23.

'We have to take Udhampur blasts seriously': Mankotia

Mankotia also raised his concern over the Udhampur twin blasts that took place on Wednesday and Thursday within a gap of 8 hours. He said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir and these incidents happened ahead of his visit and hence we have to take these blasts seriously. Anti-national elements won't be spared. Strict action will be taken against the culprits."

Notably, two mysterious blasts occurred in J&K's Udaipur on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning within a gap of 8 hours. The first blast occurred in an empty bus parked at a petrol pump in Domail Chowk in the district on Wednesday at around 10:30 PM, injuring two people. The second blast took place in a bus that was parked at the bus stand on Thursday at around 06:00 AM.

These back to back two mysterious blasts have raised the concern of the security forces and sources in the J&K police have confirmed the terror angle in these explosions as a similar modus operandi used in both explosions. Responding to these twin blasts in Udhampur, J&K police have beefed up security and have also issued a security alert in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Notably, Republic TV on Thursday, learned that sticky bombs were used in these twin blasts in J&K's Udhampur. The same modus operandi was used in both these blasts as sticky bombs were planted very next to the back doors of the two buses.