Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 13: Taking dig at BJP’s orchestrated campaign over revocation of Article 370, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana on Saturday said that repeated assertions over this sensitive issue speaks volumes about the political bankruptcy of the party.
Speaking at a function held in observance of Martyrs Day at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this morning, Mr Rana said that after feeling isolated and distracted from the masses in the wake of inner-party skirmishes, BJP is struggling to remain relevant in the political spectrum by inciting communal passions.
“Narendra Modi’s latest salvo over Hindu nationalism and justification of 2002 communal riots is an indicator what discourse the party is taking in the ensuing elections”, Mr Rana said and added that this is just the extension of its real agenda of dividing the people over sensitive issues which include Article 370 as well.
The ill-conceived logic of BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao over Article 370 speaks about his ignorance about the special provision of Constitution that accords special status to Jammu and Kashmir, he said and challenged the votaries of its revocation to get engaged for a discussion as to how they will realize their mischievous agenda.
The Provincial President reiterated that this provision cannot even be abrogated by Parliament and said knowing well this harsh reality, BJP leadership was indulging in rhetoric just to push their extremist agenda. He reminded the BJP leadership about the realistic approach of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over Article 370. Recalling Vajpayee’s reply to a question on Article 370, when he was External Affairs Minister, the veteran leader had said that it is easy to say anything when in Opposition, and it different when in Government.
Remembering martyrs, Mr Rana said that the best way of paying tributes to them was to strengthen democracy and secularism in Jammu and Kashmir, which showed the shining example of pluralistic ethos during the most testing times of the history.
On the occasion, Sr Vice President, Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial Secretary Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, former MLC Th Kashmira Singh, District President Rural Taranjeet Singh Tony, Gurdeep Singh Sassan, Jugal Mahajan also paid tributes to martyrs.
Later, the party leaders and workers observed two minutes silence in memory of the martyrs.
Among those present on the occasion included Bimla Luthra, MLA and Satpal Lakhotra, former MLA.
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