* Govt to act tough against anti-national forces: Nirmal
Avtar Bhat
KATRA, Apr 17: Outrightly rejecting that BJP has backtracked from its promises and commitments made to the people of the State, Party national general secretary, Ram Madhav today lambasted the opposition parties for spreading canards in this regard.
Addressing Party office bearers, Ministers and MLAs meeting prior to start of two day’s State Working Committee meeting here , Mr Madhav said that BJP has not detracted from its agenda on J&K and Party is committed to fulfill its commitment made with PoJK, West Pak refugees and displaced Pandits from Kashmir.
He said the long pending demand of one time settlement of PoJK refugees will most probably be settled by this year. He criticized those who were accusing the Party of ignoring the West Pak refugees and said the Party is seriously pursuing their issue also and it will not ignore them.
The BJP leader said that in just over one month of its rule the wrongs done in over 60 years can’t be corrected. The Party needs some time and by the passage of time every thing will be set right, he added.
Reiterating BJP’s stand that Party is committed to dignified and honourable return of Kashmiri Pandits, he said that there is also no dilution on this issue. However, the Government will take the KP leadership into confidence before taking any final decision in this regard. “In case the Pandits agree to be rehabilitated in their original habitations in Valley, they will be settled there and in case they demand settlement in a composite township then the decision will be taken accordingly, he asserted.
He said a hue and cry was created on the Pandits resettlement in Valley by separatists and some vested elements but Government will not be cowed down by that.
It took two months to BJP and PDP to frame CMP on certain points and both parties are bound to follow the same, Madhav said, adding 80 percent of the CMP is development oriented.
He said BJP during opposition has highlighted the discrimination being meted out to Jammu and now when the Party is part of Government it will end that discrimination with the region. Besides, it will also give equal treatment to Kashmir and Ladakh regions, he added.
Lashing out at opposition which accused the BJP of surrendering every thing for power, Mr Madhav said that his Party has not compromised on CMP and question of surrendering any issue including stand on Article 370 and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) does not arise.
He said all issues for which the BJP has been agitating over the years will continue to remain its priority.
Later, addressing the Party Working Committee meeting Mr Madhav said that coalition Government in the State has full mandate of people. While PDP is representing Kashmir region, the BJP is representing the Jammu region.
Mr Madhav said that Party got highest votes 32.2 percent in the State during Lok Sabha elections last year and it was 1.4 percent more than national average. The vote percentage of the Party was also highest during the Assembly elections later, he added.
The National Executive meeting among others was also addressed by BJP MP and incharge J&K Avinash Rai Khanna and Party State president Jugal Kishore Sharma. Tomorrow Union Minister of State in PMO with Independent Charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh will address the meeting.
Earlier, in a stern warning to the separatists, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh said the State Government will act tough against them and not tolerate their ‘provocative’ actions in Jammu and Kashmir again.
“We will act again tough, if any such incident (of provocative activities and hoisting Pakistani flag) is repeated. We are not going to tolerate the waving of Pak flags and anti national activities,” Singh told reporters on the sidelines of the State Working Committee meet here.
Asked whether Mufti Government succumbed to the BJP’s pressure, he said, “it is not a question of pressure. Actually the Government has acted. The responsibilities is joint that of the State and the Central governments, he added.
The Deputy CM said right from the beginning “we had been saying that we are going to act, and we have acted. We would not allow such activity to reoccur in Jammu and Kashmir”.
He said, as far as, impact of the incident was concerned, “It was not so huge, as they do not have such support…But a single incident like this gives a wrong signal. It gives a message that Government was coming under pressure. We will act again if such incident is repeated. We are not going to tolerate it”.
When asked whether Mufti Government came under pressure from the Party, Ram Madav said, “No pressure. They have taken action based on whatever evidence and details they have collected. There was no pressure from us”.
On the delay in arrest of Alam, Madhav said this question should be asked to the State Government, but police after due investigation have now taken appropriate action.
The two day State Executive meeting started here today. Prior to State Executive meeting Ram Madhav and BJP incharge J&K Avinash Rai Khanna convened office bearers meeting in the morning to discuss the prevailing situation in the State and role of the Party.
The Party leaders sought a complete feed back from the office bearers on various issues facing the State.
The two days State Working Committee meeting was attended by BJP State president, Jugal Kishore Sharma, general secretary (Org) Ashok Koul all Ministers and MLAs. During the meet the national leaders and all Party legislators were felicitated.
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