Amit Shah to meet BJP Ministers, party leadership as PDP-BJP enter into public spat
BJP National President, Amit Shah, will hold meeting with the state office bearers, MLAs and Ministers during his two day visit to state on April 29 to take stock of government functioning in the wake of difference between PDP and BJP over key policy issues including the mode of handling street protests here.
Ahead of Shah’s meeting later this month, PDP and BJP have toed a divergent line over the handling of the protests in Kashmir. While Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, directed police to furnish reports in the videos of armed force personnel thrashing some youth, BJP’s Industries Minister, Chander Prakash Ganga, asked for dealing with the protesters with bullets. Following the outrage over the remarks from both the mainstream and separatist political parties, Ganga has however said that he has been misquoted.
But the division with the PDP and BJP has already come to fore as the PDP Vice President, Sartaj Madni, termed Ganga’s remarks as sickening and uncalled for. BJP National General Secretary, Ram Madhav, only sharpened the divide as he told a news channel in an interview that ” everything is fair in love and war” while he was questioned about the mode that was adopted by forces in dealing with the protests here. Madhav was in Jammu on Friday and held a detailed meeting with the state office bearers to discuss the arrangements for the visit of Amit Shah to state. He flew back to Delhi after meeting Governor, N N Vohra, to discuss the security scenario.
Prior to Shah’s meeting with the office bearers and Ministers, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, will visit New Delhi and is likely to meet PM, Narendra Modi, to discuss the differences that have surfaced between the PDP and BJP.
PDP is miffed with its coalition partner, BJP, as it didn’t vote for its candidate in the legislative council elections which were held recently, even as a prior understanding was reached between the two parties that first preference of votes will be given to the PDP candidate.
Mehbooba will make her displeasure known over the public statements as she had remained reluctant after her father’s demise to assume office complaining that the public posturing of the BJP leadership was in contravention to the commitments which have been made in the Agenda of Alliance.
In the Alliance Agenda it was spelled out that there will be no further erosion of the autonomy of the state, but BJP leaders had issued statements that Kashmir’s special status was coming in the way of its integration with Indian union.
BJP spokesman, Khalid Jahangir, said that Amit Shah will hold the meeting with office bearers and Ministers on April 29. “Party national president is visiting Jammu for a two day visit ahead of which we are reviewing the arrangements. We are holding the state working committee meeting today at Doda and a meeting was also taken by Ram Madhav ji yesterday,” said Jahangir.
KV Correspondent
