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| HM Rajnath snubs Ram Madhav | | AFSPA, talks with Hurriyat | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 3: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday did some plain-speaking in Kashmir and put things in perspective. Rajnath Singh visited the Holy Shrine of Shri Amarnath on Thursday and had darshan of Baba Amarnath. He also took the opportunity to review the prevailing security scenario and place on record his stands on such issues as AFSPA and talks with Hurriyat. He rejected outright by the mischievous demand that the AFSPA, under which the armed forces involved in anti-insurgency operations in the militant-infested J&K, be revoked partially, if not wholly. He also overruled the possibility of New Delhi engaging with Hurriyat leaders at this point in time.
Regarding the demand for revocation of the AFSPA, Rajnath Singh declared that the time was not ripe for considering this demand and it would be amended or withdrawn only if the situation in the state was completely peaceful. As for the suggestion that there should be talks between Delhi and the Hurriyat to resolve the Kashmir issue, Rajnath Singh said the Government of India had no such proposal.
In other words, Rajnath Singh virtually snubbed BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, one of the chief architects of the Agenda of Alliance, and distanced himself from those in the BJP like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah, who had endorsed the pro-separatist Agenda of Alliance. Only on June 23, Ram Madhav had told media persons in Srinagar that the BJP was committed to implementing the Agenda of Alliance in letter and spirit. "Common Minimum Program (CMP) between BJP and PDP coalition would be followed in letter and spirit. Whatever we have raised in CMP, including AFSPA, NHPC and Article 370, the party will follow it letter and spirit," he had said.
That Rajnath Singh would take a line different from others in the party only suggested that the BJP is vertically divided into two factions, one opposing the Agenda of Alliance and the other supporting it and declaring again and again that it will be implemented in letter and spirit.
It needs to be noted that the Agenda of Alliance does provide for talks between the Government of India and the Hurriyat. Besides, it also provides for a review of the AFSPA and other laws.
The Agenda of Alliance, among other things, says that "the earlier NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had initiated a dialogue process with all political groups, including the Hurriyat Conference, in the spirit of "Insaaniyat, Kashmiriyat aur Jamhooriyat"; that "following the same principles, the coalition government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all internal stakeholders, which will include all political groups irrespective of their ideological views and predilections"; and that "this dialogue will seek to build a broad based consensus on resolution of all outstanding issues of J&K".
Regarding the AFSPA, the Agenda of Alliance says that "while both parties (PDP and BJP) have historically held a different view on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the need for it in the State at present, as part of the agenda for governance of this alliance, the coalition government will examine the need for de-notifying disturbed areas" and that "this, as a consequence, would enable the Union Government to take a final view on the continuation of AFSPA in these areas".
All this should suggest that the Union Home Ministry doesn't endorse what Ram Madhav did and what Narendra Modi and Amit Shah endorsed.
It would be only appropriate to suggest that an overwhelming majority of population in J&K, nay the nation as a whole, barring a few vested interests here and there, appreciates the Rajnath Singh line. It would also not be out of place to mention here that what Rajnath Singh said must have left Ram Madhav and others of his ilk in the BJP sulking. |
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