Harsh Dev flays BJP’s ‘surrender’ on core agenda

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 2

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh today said while the BJP was buys celebrating its ascendance to power in the state, the common man in the Jammu region felt “utterly disappointed and betrayed” by the saffron party’s “surrender” on its core agenda.

“The BJP in its desperation to climb the ladder of power has scarified its age-old ideology,” Harsh dev said.

“Abrogation of Article 370, which was the most significant component of BJP’s ideological DNA, has been discarded in the deal brokered by the saffron party for the lust of power,” he said.

“Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed made categorical statements to highlight PDP’s core issues during the joint press conference of coalition partners reiterating the party’s agenda of resumption of Indo-Pak talks, dialogue with the Hurriyat and other separatists, gradual revocation of the AFSPA, cross-LoC trade, etc…, but Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh chose to keep mum and failed to make any statement in respect of the issues pertaining to the Jammu region,” the senior leader said.

Pointing out at the BJP’s ‘vision document’ released during the Assembly elections, Harsh Dev said it had made a categorical statement for grant of state subjects to the West Pak Refugees with right to vote in the Assembly and local bodies, right to immovable property, right to higher and technical education and right to state government jobs, but the BJP compromised on this issue under PDP’s pressure.

He claimed that the Common Minimum Programme merely states that the coalition government would take measures for sustenance and livelihood of the West Pakistan Refugees.

“Likewise the reservation of five seats for the PoK refugees, three seats for Kashmiri migrants and 33 per cent reservation for women in the Legislative Assembly and Council as assured in the ‘vision document’ also don’t find any mention in the CMP,” he said.

“The commitments made in the ‘vision document’ pertaining to re-introduction of scheme for tax holidays for 10 years for industrial units in J&K and according property rights to children of daughters of state married outside the state with non-state subjects, issuance of the Dogra certificate to the Dogra youth and provision of six per cent vertical reservation to ex-serviceman and martyr’s families have all fallen flat,” the former minister said.