Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 16: The refugees’ issue and the strategy for the forthcoming elections in J&K came up for discussion in BJP high level meeting which was convened by Party’s newly elected national president, Amit Shah at Union Capital today.
The meeting, which was chaired by Mr Shah was also attended by Ram Madhav a strong RSS man who was recently inducted in BJP. Besides, Party National general secretary, organization, Ram Lal another national general secretary, J P Nada, BJP Prabhari for J&K and chief whip in Rajya Sabha, Avinash Rai Khanna, Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, BJP Seh Prabhari, J&K, R P Singh, State president and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, Leader of Legislative Party in J&K Assembly, Ashok Khajuria, former State president, Dr Nirmal Singh, four party generals secretaries of the State Ashok Koul, Bali Bhagat, Kavinder Gupta and Rajiv Jasrotia were present in the meeting.
This was the first meeting of Mr Shah with Core Group of the Party from the State after taking over national president of the Party few days back. The Party sources said that BJP has attached top importance to trouble –torn J&K which has witnessed lot of blood shed in last 25 years of turmoil and Mr Shah has urged the Partymen to work for winning the hearts of the people of the State.
According to party sources, Mr Shah urged BJP leaders to concentrate on Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region and create such a situation that ruling NC was politically confined to Valley during electioneering.
He also stressed on giving mandate to honest, young and dedicated partymen in the forthcoming Assembly elections who have a good public image, acceptability and 100 percent chances of winning the elections, sources said, adding Mr Shah also stressed on conducting a detailed survey in this regard.
He asked the Partymen from the State to make such a strategy for the forthcoming elections that the BJP sweeps the Assembly elections. Mr Shah also enquired about the prevailing political situation in the State in the aftermath of Lok Sabha elections, sought details from the Party leaders about the previous Assembly election held in 2008 and party wise position in the Assembly.
Sources said the meeting discussed in detail the future strategy and Mr Shah urged the Partymen to concentrate fully on Kashmir and Ladakh regions, sources said, adding it was decided that BJP will hold five big rallies in the State which included two in Jammu region, one in Kashmir Valley and one each in Kargil and Leh districts of Ladakh region starting from the month of September and Mr Shah will also visit Jammu in September to address a public rally here.
The BJP leaders from the State took up the issue of PoJK refugees forcefully in the meeting and showed their annoyance for not keeping any provision for their one time settlement in the recent budget. They stressed that the State Government be asked to submit the one time settlement package of these refugees immediately to Centre and the issue be settled once for all as BJP has always championed their cause and also made a commitment to these hapless people during the campaigning in Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP general secretary Bali Bhagat confirmed that Amit Shah assured that the Party will fulfill the commitment as budget session is going on and amendments can be made in it to include refugees’ package also.
Mr Bhagat said Mr Shah also assured that all steps as warranted under the Constitution of India will be taken to ameliorate the lot of West Pak refugees.
He said that among the 22 Union Ministers who were earlier named to visit the State some senior members of Cabinet have shown their inability to visit on the dates given to them due to their preoccupation and instead some more Ministers from BJP ruled States like Punjab, Rajasthan and MP have been included in the list and their visit to State will begin from July 25 to apprise the people of the State about the policies and programmes of Modi led Government at Centre.
He said Ram Lal and J P Nada the two national general secretaries of the Party will also visit Kashmir on July 19.
Admitting that Vikrama Dittya the elder son of Maharaja Karan Singh, the then Sadr-e-Riyasat of the State has approached the Party for his entry in BJP, Mr Bhagat said the proposal in this regard is under consideration of Party High Command.
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