Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 12: Making a scathing attack on UPA, BJP national general secretary, P Murlidhar Rao today said that it has failed on every front. Whether it be the internal security of the country or be it nation’s economy UPA has been a failure.
While addressing a seminar organized by Dr Mookerjee Simriti Nyas here this evening, he said the attitude that Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh has adopted on Chinese incursion is dangerous for the country.
“If Kashmir is not there we will fail as a nation state. India should not fail in Kashmir because it will be a failure of our Constitution,” he added.
Terming the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India as complete, Rao said, “It is wrong that people of Jammu and Kashmir are not with India. The history reveals that people of the State have always been with India. Kashmir is an integral part of India and India is in the hearts of people of the state”, he added.
He said “Article 370 is eroding and it will erode soon. It will not remain as it is not a permanent Article. Even the leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sardar Patel said that the article was not permanent, he added.
“There are some people who believe that Article 370 guarantees religious pluralism, protects sub-nationalism… but 370 has not been imposed across the country. Gujarat’s identity has not ended because of the absence of Article 370. The identity of Tamil Nadu and Bengal has also not ceded, he added. Mr Rao, while justifying the demand for abrogation of the Article 370 said, the number of Muslims has not reduced neither has there been any effect on language because of the absence of Article 370. It is the Constitution of India which kept the state secured and similarly in Kashmir these things are guaranteed by the society and the Indian Constitution, he added.
Insisting that religion cannot be the basis of nationhood, Rao said, “Political class of Jammu and Kashmir should understand Pakistan is no longer a country to be revered. Pakistan as a state has failed and
Pakistan as an idea is facing existential crisis.”
He said “separatist movement in Kashmir has no ground and it has no legitimacy. Secularism will not survive if separatism gains ground. In 1947 there was no threat to the secularism but if separatism gains in Kashmir it will pose a threat to the secularism across the nation,” he added.
Asking Chief Minister Omar Abdullah not to instigate communal violence in the state, Rao said he should learn from the life of his grandfather Sheikh Abdullah, who believed in the unity of the state with India.
Highlighting the plight of some sections of the Muslim community, including scavengers and Gujjar Bakerwals, Rao said: “every section of the society should enjoy the fruits of development.” He added that the State Government had no right to draw “dividing lines”. ”The ruling administration should see the people of the state as one,” he said.
Addressing the seminar BJP State president Jugal Kishore Sharma regretted that State Government is bothered for the welfare of militants and their rehabilitation and not of soldiers who laid down their lives in fighting Pak sponsored terrorism in J&K.
“If a terrorist is killed CM condoles. Even dreaded terrorist like Afzal Guru is called Guru Sahib but there is no word of appreciation for the soldiers who attain martyrdom while fighting terrorism’’, he added
He said Muslims like Maqbool Sherwani, Master Abdul Aziz, Brig Usman and others laid down their lives for nation and their contribution and sacrifices are our strength.
Sheikh Shakeel in his speech said that Muslims are not averse to BJP but the trust deficit needs to be bridged.
BJP Legislative party leader, Ashok Khajuria also spoke on the occasion.
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