Local unit uneasy with extreme posture BJP’s adamancy on Art 370 Local unit uneasy with extreme posture LOCAL UNIT UNEASY WITH EXTREME POSTURE Srinagar: The frequent statements of some top central BJP about abrogation of Article 370, terming it a roadblock in the state’s overall development, seem to have created a wedge between most of the BJP candidates and party’s core group members in Kashmir. Reports said that after some difference within the party ranks over the Article 370, the top leaders of BJP have passed on the directions to the state leaders especially the candidates in the election fray to stop commenting on the serious issue of Article 370. Highly placed party sources revealed to the Kashmir Monitor that as Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office Dr Jatendra Singh again raked the issue of abrogation of article 370, it created ripples within the party cadres in the valley. “Whatever the politics is played but the reality is that the national agenda of our party and also the part of our election manifesto is the abrogation of Article 370. It is not about who likes it and who opposes it. When it comes to national security and national interests everyone has to fall in the same line,” said a top BJP functionary, who is supervising the party’s election affairs in the valley. He said that they have given the directions to all their state leaders and candidates to stop commenting on Article 370. “It hardly matters for us whether our other state leaders like it or not, but there is nothing in this Article and it has to be abrogated. It has been slowly eroded by our rival parties. Now we don’t want this article 370 to become a roadblock for the State’s overall developmental,” he said. He admitted that many Muslim candidates are against the issue of Article 370 and are opposing it tooth and nail, but it is the high command and the core group which takes the final call. “Their stand is clear so no need to talk more about it,” he added. However, the internal differences in BJP have already started as it was first the BJP’s woman candidate from Amira Kadal Constituency, Dr Hina Bhat, who opposes any such proposed move saying, “I would be the first person to pick up the gun if Article 370 is scrapped.” Another BJP leader and its candidate from Pahalgam assembly segment, Sofi Yousuf said no-one can scrap Article 370 of its own unless all the stakeholders which include both factions of Huriyat Conference, religious scholars, intellectuals, lawyers, journalists and other stakeholders are taken into confidence and a debate is started on it.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 06:00:19 +0000
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