*BJP condemns questions on Kashmir status Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Jan 18: BJP president Rajnath Singh said today that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special status to the State has only caused immense losses to Jammu and Kashmir and added that his party would welcome if any political party or organisation tell them the advantages of this Article. Addressing the BJP’s three-days national executive, which started yesterday, in New Delhi, Mr Singh carried forward the debate set off by BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendera Modi on Article 370 saying the BJP was ready to discuss advantages and disadvantages of the Article. “If Article 370 has delivered any goods to Jammu and Kashmir, we are ready to discuss them. Let the political parties or any other organisations, which have been supporting the Article, come forward and tell us the advantages Article 370 has given to J&K. In our view, it has only prevented Jammu and Kashmir from joining national mainstream. The Article has caused only losses to J&K and was a disadvantage for the State,” Rajnath said in his address to the national executive. “On Article 370, there is no shift in the BJP’s stand. But if Jammu and Kashmir is not able to integrate with the national mainstream, if it is a conspiracy to stop J&K from joining Indian mainstream, then BJP will not accept the Article in any way. “As per Constitution, the debate will continue whether the Article 370 should end or continue,” he said. However, he made it clear that if J&K develops because of Article 370, the BJP has no objection in keeping it. He added that there had been enough evidence to suggest that the J&K has only suffered because of Article 370. Rajnath made it clear that there was no change in the BJP’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Singh said: “owing to the wrong policies of the Congress Government, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir has been embroiled in problems since our independence. Due to weak policies and Article 370, Congress has kept Jammu and Kashmir away from the mainstream of development in the country.” Maintaining that BJP considered Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India, Rajnath said: “we are against giving leverage to any anti-national elements. We are resolute in getting development to the poor population of Kashmir, which they lack even after 67 years of independence. We strongly condemn the questions being raised by Congress and its allies regarding the status of Kashmir in India. Besides being a subject of integrity of India, Kashmir strikes an emotional chord for the party as our founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mookherjee became a martyr for Kashmir cause”. A demand for debate on Article 370 of the Constitution of India was first made by BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi while addressing the biggest ever political rally in Jammu on December 1. His demand had, in fact, set off a massive debate with various political parties support for and against the Article. Targeting UPA Government headed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for its failure on diplomatic front including Pakistan and China, Rajnath Singh said: “the Centre has no stand on Pakistan. On one hand, the Prime Minister says that there would be no talks with Pakistan (in view of the neighbouring country’s support to terrorism) while on the other they have resumed talks with Pakistan”. It may be mentioned here that the Commerce Ministers of India and Pakistan have held a dialogue on wide ranging issues in New Delhi. Pointing out that China also has territorial ambitions against India especially on Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, Rajnath charged the UPA Government with `sitting silently’ and taking no steps to check Chinese incursions in Ladakh. He said during Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, China had repeatedly made incursions in Sikkim. “However, Mr Vajpayee displayed the diplomatic skills and handed the issue with such a diplomatic strategy that China completely gave up its claim on Sikkim,” the BJP chief said. As reported exclusively today, the BJP has yesterday moved a political resolution in its national executive in which the party had come down heavily on UPA for its soft policies towards China and Pakistan and failure to check terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as well as other parts of the country. BJP Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad had moved the resolution while BJP national executive member and senior party leader from Jammu and Kashmir Dr Jitendera Singh had moved amendments to it.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 04:13:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015