Property Bill: High command takes BJP ministers to task

Dinesh Manhotra 

Tribune News Service 

Jammu, July 22

The BJP ministers in the coalition were taken to the task in the much-publicised meeting which was convened today to review performance of the government. Neither legislators nor workers expressed satisfaction over the style of functioning of party’s nominees in the coalition government.

Ram Lal, the all-important national general secretary (organisation), who is a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) point man in the BJP, sought feedback from “workers to legislators” during his day-long stay at Jammu to rate performance of the coalition government in general and BJP ministers in particular. 

“Passing of the controversial pro-separatists Transfer of Property Bill during a Cabinet meeting on July 23 dominated Ram Lal’s interaction with party leaders because most of them cautioned that the failure of the BJP’s Cabinet ministers to oppose the Bill at an initial stage authenticate the allegations that most of them (BJP ministers) are either ill-informed or taking legislative work casually,” sources said. 

The sources said after getting the feedback from legislators and office-bearers, Ram Lal gave a clear warning to 

party ministers to mend their ways. 

“Get yourselves properly informed. Do your home work properly while taking important policy decisions in the government,” the BJP’s national general secretary bluntly told party ministers in the coalition. 

Without naming any body, Ram Lal observed, “Some BJP ministers in the coalition are treating themselves as over-clever. They have to understand that workers are the backbone of the party and ignoring cadre would prove to be disastrous for them and party also.”

Earlier in the morning, the BJP’s national general secretary held a closed-door two-hour meeting with stalwarts of the RSS at the official residence of Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. ‘Shetriya prachark’ (North Zone head) Prem Kumar, ‘akhil bharatiya sah parchar pramukh’ Arun Kumar,  ‘prant prachark’ Ramesh Pappa, ‘prant karvawah’ Parshotam Dedechi and BJP state president Sat Sharma attended the meeting in which all issues pertaining to the functioning of the government and organisation were thoroughly discussed.

The sources said the Deputy Chief Minister and the BJP state president were asked to ensure smooth coordination between the government and the organisation. 

The BJP leadership was asked to remain vigilant because the party was running government with the party whose ideology is diametrically opposite to the saffron party.

The sources said BJP leaders were also suggested that party should go on an offensive on the issue of killing militant commanded Burhan Wani.