Ram reaffirms Mukherjee dream as coalition agenda, Nirmal avows option to quit
Srinagar: Bhartiya Janta Party Monday reasserted its wish to undo Jammu and Kashmir’s special status within Indian Union, stating that “the coalition government will not compromise with the ideology of an integrated state and will never support separatist forces.”
The chief architect of BJP’s power -sharing agreement with Peoples Democratic Party, Ram Madhav reaffirmed this resolve while speaking to a gathering that commemorated the birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the RSS leader who in 1952 spearheaded a vigorous movement to fully integrate J&K and died in Kashmir prison as he was detained by then Sheikh Abdullah regime.
RSS ideologue and BJP’s General Secretary Ram Madhav termed Mukherjee as the first martyr of Independent India, “who sacrificed his life for J&K’s unity and integration (with Indian Union).”
Paying tributes to Mookerjee, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav also said that the Centre was planning some major steps for the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Many a times doubts are being raised on whether we (BJP-PDP coalition) are functioning according to the ideology of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the first martyr of Independent India who sacrificed his life for the cause of J&K’s unity and integration.
“I want to assure all those who have doubts that we are working on his principles and will not compromise with the integrity of the state. We stand against terrorists and separatist forces,” Madhav said adding that whatever leaders might say, they felt that they were citizens of India. “Being equal citizens of the nation, they and the state government can demand anything they want from the Central government. But we will not support or stand by the anti-national forces,” he said.
Ram’s fresh noise about the BJP’s commitment of following Mukherjee’s vision through the platform of the coalition government of which Mufti Sayeed’s PDP is a key ally, is yet another pinch at BJP’s political muscle in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Mukherjee’s birthday was celebrated in Jammu also. Speaking to a gathering in the winter capital, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh Monday said that Bharatiya Janata Party or the BJP would not spare a moment to pull out of the government if the party feels that it has become difficult to continue.
“Problems do arise as we have our own agenda and our ruling partner (PDP) has a different agenda. The day the party (BJP) feels that it has become difficult to continue (in the coalition), we will not stay in power for one second,” PTI quoted him as saying.
The leader stated that in the past four months since the formation of the state government, BJP has “set a level playing field with the coalition partner and the party would soon start delivering to the people of Jammu”.
‘Nobody overrules CM’
SRINAGAR: Bhartiya Janata Party Monday said that not a single member or Minister from the party has been overruling Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
Castigating National Conference for blowing a minor issue out of proportion, BJP legislator and Cooperative Minister with Independent Charge, Chering Dorje said that Chief Minister is an institution in itself and every member from the Coalition parties particularly BJP has great regard for this institution. It is a wrong notion that Health Minister Lal Singh has overruled the Chief Minister over the relocation of gynecological ward from the GB Pant Childrens Hospital. The fact is that no Minister from BJP shows such a great regard for Chief Minister as Lal Singh does. There was some communication gap and at the end of it is the Chief Minister who rules the roost, Dorje said adding that the institution of Chief Minister got lowered during previous NC-Congress regime.
Dorje said that there is an effective coordination between PDP and BJP members and both the coalition parties are following agenda of alliance. Nobody should give it a second thought that Chief Minister is being over ruled. Chief Minister is supreme and he is being respected by everyone, he said.
