Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 26: Consequent to a decision taken by the high-level BJP-RSS meeting last night, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat today called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and briefed her on the issues that the BJP would like to settle immediately in the interest of the party as well as the people of Jammu region.
Though there was no official word on the meeting, reliable sources told the Excelsior that Dr Singh and Bhagat took up the issue of University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) Kathua, creation of Additional DCs’ posts for Nowshera, Sunderbani and Kalakote, withdrawal of FIR against Jammu youth involved in 2008 Shri Amarnath Ji land row agitation among others.
Sources said after the meeting, the Higher Education Department issued an order “settling the issue” of UIET Kathua.
On creation of posts of Additional DCs for Nowshera, Sunderbani and Kalakote in Rajouri district and withdrawal of 2008 Shri Amarnath Ji land row FIRs of Jammu, sources claimed the Chief Minister told the BJP Ministers that she wanted to hold review meetings on the twin issues before taking a decision.
The BJP Minister, however, stated that there was no fun of going ahead with the FIRs of the agitation, which was purely religious in nature especially when the State Government has withdrawn scores of FIRs against the stone pelters of Kashmir valley.
According to sources, a number of issues pertaining to the State especially Jammu and Ladakh regions also figured during the meeting that lasted about half an hour.
Sources claimed that response of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was “very positive” towards the demands projected by the BJP Ministers and she reiterated that she stands for equal development of all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
After the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh left for New Delhi where he would attend meeting of BJP’s Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers, convened by BJP national president Amit Shah on February 28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address the meeting.
It may be mentioned here that all 11 BJP Ministers, eight Cabinet and three MoS, top brass of RSS and BJP including two Members of Parliament (MPs), State president and three general secretaries, had last night met at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh for “brain storming session” lasting about five hours amidst pressure on the party from all quarters following gherao of party Ministers and MLAs at Sunderbani, Nowshera and Jammu City on the issue of UIET Kathua, Additional DC posts for Nowshera, Sunderbani and Kalakote, withdrawal of FIRs against 2008 Shri Amarnath Ji land row agitation, discrimination in recruitment with Jammu by Public Service Commission and Services Selection Board and a host of other issues.
The high-level meeting had decided that a Group of Ministers will meet Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti apprising her of the expectations the people of Jammu have on the BJP for years together and that these hopes had gone up after the party came to power with the PDP.
It was in context of this that Dr Nirmal Singh and Bali Bhagat today met the Chief Minister and apprised her of the issues the BJP would like to be settled.
The BJP Ministers were categorically told at the meeting that all the FIRs registered against Jammu youths during 2008 land agitation had to be withdrawn by the State Government as “failure to do so” was bringing bad name to the party.
The high-level meeting had come just days after people gheroed BJP Ministers Bali Bhagat and Abdul Ghani Kohli and senior leaders including party’s State president Sat Sharma “CA” at Sunderbani on the demand of Additional DC’s post for Jammu while ABVP workers surrounded the official vehicle of Minister of State for Education Priya Sethi in the City over keeping affiliation of University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kathua with Jammu University.
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