Committed to agenda of governance in J&K: Jaitley

*BJP leaders’ amendments in Executive accepted
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 20: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was instrumental in drafting Rs 80,000 crores worth Prime Minister’s package for Jammu and Kashmir last year, said today that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is committed to agenda of governance in Jammu and Kashmir while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called for good friendly ties with neighbours including Pakistan but ruled out any third party mediation.
Addressing National Executive of the BJP on last day and brief inter-action with media in New Delhi, the top BJP leaders clearly refrained themselves from making any direct comments on formation of new Government in Jammu and Kashmir after the stalemate between PDP and BJP deepened on Friday following meeting between BJP chief Amit Shah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.
Top BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir including Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, BJP State president Sat Sharma ‘CA’, all three MPs, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Thupstan Chhewang and Shamsher Singh, Ashok Khajuria and Ashok Koul attended the meeting.
Party leaders told the Excelsior from New Delhi that Arun Jaitley didn’t refer to ‘Agenda of Alliance’ on which PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has been seeking forward movement but expressed commitment to agenda of governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We stand fully committed as far as agenda of governance in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned,” Jaitley said.
He added that in the political resolution adopted by the BJP in its national executive today, there was a reference to Jammu and Kashmir in terms of national security.
However, party leaders said though the BJP expressed clear commitment to agenda of governance in J&K, it refrained from touching `Agenda of Alliance’ signed between PDP and BJP before formation of Government in the State last year on which Mehbooba Mufti has been demanding forward movement on some issues before formation of new Government in the State, which was under Governor’s Rule since January 8 following the death of then Chief Minister and Mehbooba’s father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Apart from Arun Jaitley, party leaders said, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also made significant remarks on talks with Pakistan and good friendly ties with its neighbours including Pakistan and China.
Swaraj, in her address to National Executive today, said India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has framed very clear foreign policy under which it would pursue good and friendly ties with all its neighbours including Pakistan and China but there would be no compromise on security and dignity of the country.
“We want good relations with our neighbours-be it Pakistan or China. But, at the same time, there can be no compromise on our national security. We will take steps to have good relations with the neighbours,” she was quoted as having told the National Executive.
Swaraj, they said, categorically ruled out any third party mediation on Jammu and Kashmir and said only India and Pakistan will hold talks to resolve all the issues faced by the two countries. She briefed the National Executive on the talks she had with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz at Pokhara, Nepal recently.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister, moved an amendment to the BJP National Executive Committee’s Political Resolution wherein he sought to include a reference to the Government decision to do away with the practice of getting certificates and documents attested by gazetted officer and instead introducing the provision for self-attestation. He said, this was one of the most courageous decisions ever taken in the history of independent India to do away with a practice which had continued since the British Raj.
This decision, Dr Jitendra Singh said, had not only brought in “ease of governance” but had also sent out a message that this Government has the capacity to trust the youth of this country.
In the Economic Resolution focusing on rural development entitled “Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday”, Dr Jitendra Singh’s amendment referring to Northeast was accepted wherein it was stated that for the first time in the history of independent India, a region based road corporation was established by the name “North East Road Development Corporation (NERDC)” to focus on the neglected roads in the region and an amount of Rs. 1.05 Cr allocated for this in the Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 29th February 2016.
Another important suggestion of former Deputy Chief Minister and senior party leader Dr Nirmal Singh on developing `Smart Border Villages’ on the pattern of `Smart Cities’ was taken into consideration by the party.
Meanwhile, speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Dr Nirmal Singh reiterated the party’s stand that any forward movement on formation of new Government in Jammu and Kashmir would depend on the PDP, which had to elect its Legislature Party leader first and inform the Governor about the election.
“They have not done this so far,” he said.
On `Agenda of Alliance’, Dr Singh said the BJP was committed to it as it feels the document was sacred as it was framed and signed at top level of the two parties and was meant for implementation during six years term of the Government. He added that though forward movement had taken place on the `Agenda of Alliance’ during last 10 months, the Government ceased to exist due to the death of Mufti Sayeed.
Dr Nirmal Singh said Mehbooba Mufti had to get elected as the Legislature Party leader, form the Government and then as the Chief Minister she can take up any issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development and welfare of the State.

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