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| 'Akhara' of anti-national activities | | BJP on national security | | MINCING
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Neha
JAMMU, Mar 9: The BJP, which on March 7 voted for a controversial candidate seeking election to the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council after taking a complete U-turn, a day later in the Assembly tried to salvage its position by taking on the Kashmir-based parties in general and the ruling party National Conference in particular, (BJP voted for the PDP-sponsored a Delhi-based Kashmiri Hindu candidate who is known for his closeness to hardcore Pakistani Syed Ali Shah Geelani - an act which has been described as "an act of political debauchery"). It was none other than the Leader of BJP Legislature Party in the Assembly and former state BJP president Ashok Khajuria during whose term the nation witnessed an epoch-making Amarnath land agitation that brought the Kashmiri leadership and the Congress-led UPA Government to the knees of the nationalist forces in Jammu, who did some plain-speaking on the floor of the Assembly and castigated the Kashmir-based parties, especially the National Conference for converting the law-making body into an "Akhara (ground) of anti-national" activities, saying they are exploiting Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to muddy the Indian waters in Kashmir.
Tearing into the Kashmiri leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Khajuria said: "It has become customary with Kashmiri leaders to speak against the country and abuse the disciplined security forces" (charged with the responsibility of fighting terrorism and secessionism). He accused the Kashmiri leadership of "disrupting the House" by raking up emotive and divisive issues, including some killings during the security forces-unruly crowd clashes and charged the National Conference-led coalition government with doing all this to keep the "pot boiling in Kashmir". "It is being done deliberately at the behest of NC- led coalition as NC wants to keep the pot boiling for political interests," he said, and added that while "National Conference stalwart Mustafa Kamal is using abusive language against the security forces on TV channels, others are doing it inside the House".
Khajuria bemoaned saying that while the Kashmiri leaders' heart bleeds for protestors, disturbers of peace and anti-national elements, they have no word in their dictionaries for those two Indian soldiers who were shot dead by Pakistani Army and Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives in Mandher in January this year and whose bodies were mutilated by the Pakistani butchers, as also for those two disarmed IRP jawans who were liquidated in Kashmir by the enemies of India only a few days ago. He counseled the Kashmiri leaders to behave failing which the BJP would be constrained to unleash a wave of nationalist protests aimed at showing the regressive forces their rightful place. His main refrain was that the Kashmiri leadership in and outside the State Legislature is indulging in bad, emotive and divisive politics which has all the ingredients of snowballing into a major conflict between the Kashmiri leadership and nationalist forces in the state.
The BJP lawmaker did hit the nail on the head by saying what he said on the floor of the Assembly. Indeed, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly has been converted into a den of anti-India intrigues and conspiracies by certain vested interests and pro-Pakistan elements. The situation has climaxed to the point that those who are constitutionally, politically and morally bound to defend India, Indian Constitution and Indian institutions like the Army are openly abusing them and subverting the polity both from within and outside. It has become extremely impossible to distinguish between the "mainstream" Kashmiri leaders and Kashmiri separatists. Even the president of JKPCC, who also hails from Kashmir, is brazenly indulging in Army-bashing. It's horrible situation by any yardstick. It is good that the BJP leader did some plain-speaking and tried to defend the nation's cause.
But what the BJP leader said was just not enough. He and others in the BJP have to clear their stand on Jammu & Kashmir. For, their approach towards the state has not been consistent. Besides, they have to prove by their words and acts that they are actually committed to what they publicly say to induce people to join them or vote for them. Their political conduct during the past four years has been highly disappointing and they know it. |
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