Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 23: Despite various controversies dogging the alliance, the BJP -PDP coalition will try to tide over the crisis to have a smooth sailing as per the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the two parties.
This was stated by BJP national general secretary and architect of the coalition in the State, Ram Madhav while talking to reporters here, today at the sidelights of the Party meetings which were held to review the functioning of the coalition and to tide over the crisis which were created due to recent controversies over beef ban and levying of Sales Tax on chopper services for Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims.
He said the PDP -BJP will handle the beef issue itself and all other issues will also be sorted out smoothly. “There is a coalition Government in the State so our Ministers, leaders and legislators meet time to time to take the stock of the situation and discuss the functioning of the Government. We will discuss all issues and the Government will work as per CMP”, he added.
He said beef ban and other controversial issues will be discussed in the coalition and all issues will be sorted out.
He claimed that there are no differences between the two coalition partners in the State. He expressed confidence that the Government will handle the beef issue in the State smoothly.
There are many issues, which will be discussed by the BJP members in the Government with PDP, he asserted. On LAHDC, Leh polls, he said there is no difference between the coalition partners. Both the parties are fighting the elections on their suitability. “From time to time I visit the State to see that the government is functioning smoothly”, he added.
Coming down heavily on Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar’s statement that RSS is the Supreme Court of BJP, Ram Madhav hit back at him saying RJD’s Lalu Prasad and Congress’ president Sonia Gandhi were his Supreme Court.
“I want to ask Nitish Kumar who is his Supreme Court,” Mr Madhav said.
“It was cleared from his (Nitish Kumar) views that Lalu Prasad and Sonia Gandhi (Congress Party) are Supreme Court for him,” said Mr Madhav.
For BJP, people of the country are the Supreme Court, he said. “RSS has already cleared that its Chief Mohan Bhagwat never made comments on reservation system,” he said, adding that, “on whose directions, Nitish Kumar is working that Congress party is itself raising question mark on reservation.”
The BJP leader said, “We have already cleared our stand that the present reservation system will continue and similar is the thought of RSS and all those who think in the interest of the nation.”
Those who are concerned for the country feel that Dr B R Ambedkar, who introduced reservation system, each and every person falling into this category, should be benefited, said Mr Madhav.
“It is a matter of concern and Nitish Kumar should be more concerned about his alliance parties and Maha Gatbandhan than worrying about the BJP,” he asserted.
He said it was Congress which said that the reservations should be given on the basis of economy and not on the basis of caste. They want to change the existing system of reservation, while BJP is for continuation of the existing system, he added.
Earlier, talking to reporters, BJP national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna and BJP State president, Jugal Kishore Sharma termed the disengagement of Additional Advocate General and Deputy Advocate General by Government as unfortunate. “We were not consulted on this and the decision was not acceptable to BJP”, said Mr Khanna.
While expressing his displeasure over the decision, he said the coalition dharma has to be respected. “The decision is unilateral and we will discuss it at highest level”, he added.
To review the prevailing situation and functioning of the coalition BJP leaders convened marathon meetings with Party’s Core Committee, BJP ministers in coalition and Legislators during the day.
According to party sources, the beef ban issue and imposition of Sales Tax on Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims came up for debate in all the three meetings and Legislators as well as Core Committee members showed their concern about the same.
Sources said the Ministers, legislators and Party leaders in all the three meetings stressed that the levying of ST on pilgrims be withdrawn as it does not have any legal sanction while the Party members were of the view that the situation prevailing before the HC order on beef should prevail and the existing law should not be repelled at any cost.
Sources said the Party national leaders stressed on coordination in party as well as between the two coalition partners.
Sources said some legislators had pointed out lack of coordination in the Party as well as collation partners. They said that this was the reason that Mr Madhav has to visit the State time and again to tide over the crisis, sources added.
Sources said the developmental issues were also discussed and some Legislators alleged that their constituencies are not being paid attention in development. Some legislators alleged that they were not being consulted on the issues, sources added.
Sources said it was also pointed out that the orders are issued by GAD and Ministers come to know of the same through press which puts the party into an embarrassing situation.
The Core Committee meeting besides Mr Madhav and Khanna was attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, BJP State president and MP, Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLC and senior leader Ashok Khajuria, Party general secretaries, Rajiv Jasrotia (MLA), Narinder Singh and Munish Sharma.
The ministers’ meeting were attended by Dr Nirmal Singh, Bali Bhagat, Chander Parkash Ganga, Ch Sukhnandan, Ch. Lal Singh, Abdul Gani Kohli, Pawan Gupta, Priya Sethi and Sunil Sharma. However, Ashok Khajuria was present in all three meetings.
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