Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, July 29: A broad consensus was tonight reached on meeting equal treatment to Jammu and Kashmir regions on setting up of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at a high powered meeting among top Government functionaries of Centre and State and BJP leaders in New Delhi. However, modalities and some legal and technical formalities were being worked out for an announcement.
The consensus was arrived when high level delegation of the BJP Ministers and leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, joined by the party leaders from New Delhi, had about one and half hour long meeting with Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda. Another round of meeting was scheduled between the BJP Ministers and leaders with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at 2 pm tomorrow after which they would also try for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.
The BJP leaders, who debated the AIIMS issue in New Delhi in the office chamber of Nadda for about one and half hours tonight, included BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, BJP Incharge for Jammu and Kashmir Avinash Rai Khanna, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Health and Medical Education Minister Choudhary Lal Singh and BJP State unit president Jugal Kishore Sharma, party MP from Jammu.
Party sources told the Excelsior that there was broad consensus in the meeting that both Jammu and Kashmir regions would get equal treatment on the issue of AIIMS. However, the modalities were discussed threadbare as to how it could be done. The options debated in the meeting included approval of one more AIIMS for the State, naming already given AIIMS as AIIMS for Jammu and Kashmir and keeping all faculties in both the regions with one Director etc.
Sources said the BJP Ministers and leaders from Jammu and Kashmir were of the view that the State should be given to AIIMS to settle the dispute as one AIIMS each would be set up in Jammu and Kashmir divisions. They added that since the Parliament was in session, no announcement on setting up of another AIIMS for Jammu and Kashmir, can be made outside the House.
“For making statement inside the Parliament, the House should function. However, both Houses of Parliaments have been disrupted by the Congress seeking resignations of the two Chief Minister and a Union Minister of the BJP,’’ they pointed out and said this could delay any announcement. The BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir wanted an early announcement as AIIMS Coordination Committee had called for an indefinite Jammu bandh from July 31 for 72 hours. The BJP wanted an announcement to be made before start of the bandh.
“In view of this, the BJP Ministers and leaders will be meeting Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at 2 pm tomorrow,’’ sources said, adding they would press for an early announcement of another AIIMS for the State.
Veteran BJP leader from Jammu and Kashmir and Minister of State in PMO will not be able to join the delegation as in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament tomorrow, he had to reply to the questions of the PMO in Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour tomorrow.
According to sources, the BJP Minister and leaders were also seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah to mobilize their support for second AIIMS to the State. However, the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend last rites of former President APJ Abdul Kalam tomorrow in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.
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