BJP high command deputes Khanna to check infighting

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 19

Worried over infighting among “disciplined” leaders of the party in J&K, the BJP high command has asked Avinash Rai Khanna to reach Jammu to control factionalism and bring truce among stalwarts. Khanna, who is in-charge of the J&K BJP, is reaching Jammu on Monday to hold discussions with party leaders.

Highly placed sources said the BJP high command was worried over “free-for-all situation” in J&K where neither ministers were taking the organisation into confidence nor party leaders were concerned about grassroots-level workers. “The way party had faced humiliation in the just-concluded Budget session of the Legislative Assembly has proved that there is no coordination among the ministers and the organisation,” a senior leader, who wished not to be quoted, said, adding, “Due to the lack of coordination between ministers and the party, the organisation has completely been paralysed.”

In the just-concluded session of the Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had stated on the floor of the House that those demanding abrogation of Article 370 were “anti-nationals.” This statement had not gone down well with sympathisers and workers of the party.

To placate the annoyed the sympathisers of the party, BJP ministers and legislators have been claiming that the CM’s statement against the opponents of Article 370 had been expunged but Speaker Kavinder Gupta had made it clear during the proceedings of the session that he had not expunged any remark.

“As workers are asking questions to party leaders about humiliation in the Assembly, party leaders are indulging into washing dirty linen in public to demonise each other,” the sources said.

The sources said neither ministers nor party leaders were concerned about strengthening the organisation so anger was brewing among workers. “The party leadership has failed to evolve consensus on important issues like Rohingya refugees, Article 370 and other issue,” the sources said, adding that a faction was opposing raking up Article 370 at this point of time when the party was sharing power with the PDP.