Ram Madhav meets Governor as coalition rift widens
Following the differences between PDP and BJP over the way Kashmir protests can be handled, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav on Friday met Jammu and Kashmir, Governor N.N. Vohra, and discussed the situation in the Valley.
Madhav met Governor, after the meeting of BJP-PDP leaders in the wake of differences between the two allies on how to tackle street protests here in Kashmir. Madhav, the BJP point man on Jammu and Kashmir affairs, earlier met Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders including Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu.
PDP-BJP meet came after Madhav had convened the meeting of BJP office bearers at party headquarters in Jammu to take stock of the arrangements of the visit of BJP president, Amit Shah, to Jammu on April 29.
PDP has recently taken a strong notice of the BJP Minister, Chander Prakash Ganga’s remarks, that stone pelters can only be dealt with bullets.
Strongly condemning, what he termed the grossly insensitive remarks, PDP Vice-President, Mohammad Sartaj Madni, said that such disgusting utterances are not only unjustifiable but perilous as well.
“It is unbecoming of a senior Minister in the Government to dish out such a sweeping, sickening and intimidating statement against the Kashmiri youth. Ganga on Wednesday said that Kashmiri’s are “traitors, whether they have come from Pakistan or live here”.
“There is only one remedy for them and that is bullets. And if not bullets, they should be handed over such a punishment like the youth who are beaten with sticks by forces. Take my word that next time they (the youth) won’t throw stones,” Minister is reported to have said in a video clip that went viral.
Madni said the statement of Ganga is also in contravention to the stand of the state Cabinet on the issue which in its meeting held in Jammu on April 18 expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives in the Valley and directed the security agencies to exercise maximum restraint while handling law and order situations to prevent loss of lives. Madhav himself told a news channel, in reaction to the handling of Kashmiri situation, that everything “was fair in love and war.’’
Kashmir has been witnessing protests since the Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha by-election of April 9 when security forces shot dead eight protesters. During the re-poll on April 13 widespread violence was witnessed in which one youth lost his life.
KV Correspondent
