Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 17: The State unit of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) today said that they are for dialogue with the neighbouring Pakistan and not for confrontation even as ceasefire violations continue along Line of Control (LoC).
The remarks came from the BJP leaders at a news conference here this afternoon. The conference was addressed by the State spokesperson of BJP, Arun Gupta, party spokesman Khalid Jehangir and Member of Legislative Council, Surender Ambardar.
The MLC Ambardar said that it is the habit of Pakistan to resort to ceasefire violations to facilitate the infiltrators. “We know it from the very beginning,” he said. The BJP leaders said that though the Government is not “taking pro-active” measures but wherever there is provocation, the forces are retaliating.
Gupta, the state spokesperson of the BJP, said that the Pakistanis are “our neighbours and brothers”. “It doesn’t suit us to engage in confrontation. It affects our economies. Though we don’t need to seek permission for taking offensive measures but we are for dialogue,” he said.
Replying to a series of questions, the BJP leaders said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the State is a “requirement”. “Do you think we would be able to live in peace (if the Act is scrapped),” the BJP said. When asked whether the Government of India would hold dialogue with militants in Kashmir on the pattern of Nagaland and Tripora, they said that the “there is lot of difference between the North East and J&K.”
“In Kashmir, we are fighting Pakistan sponsored terrorism. The so-called resistance in Kashmir is a sponsored one,” said BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir.
On the issue of ‘Sainik’ colony for ex-servicemen, the BJP said that there is no problem in establishing such a colony for JK servicemen. “There is no problem in establishing Sainik colony. We already have police colony here. The ex-servicemen of JK would be settled in the Sainik colony,” they said.
The BJP claimed that their membership in J&K has crossed the mark of 10 lakh and in Valley; it has crossed 3 lakh mark. “We are now largest party in the State,” the BJP claimed.
The BJP leaders said that though there is no proposal of dialogue with separatists but the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is likely to take the initiative of talks.
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