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No bargaining on Kashmir: Naidu
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 23
The BJP President, Mr Venkaiah Naidu, said today that there was no question of any bargaining on Kashmir with Pakistan and peace talks would begin only after a conducive atmosphere was created by Pakistan by stopping cross-border terrorism.

BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu addresses a public meeting in Jammu on Monday. — PTI photo

Mr Naidu was talking to mediapersons and thereafter addressed a public meeting to commemorate 50 years of martyrdom of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Jana Sangh.

He said the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had decided a two-pronged strategy — on the one hand of holding talks with Pakistan and on the other crushing terrorists mercilessly.

He made it clear that Kashmir was an integral part of India and this could not be made a point of discussion even under pressure from any other country.

Mr Naidu said the NDA government headed by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken several historic initiatives, including bringing the Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism on the main agenda of the international community. India had not only crushed terrorism, but had exposed Pakistan at the international level, he said.

He alleged that the “healing touch” policy of the coalition government of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was going in the wrong direction. The policy should be for rehabilitation of dependants of soldiers and security personnel who laid their lives while fighting terrorists and not for pleasing ultras who have raised the gun against the country. The policy could also be utilised to benefit terrorists who have shunned violence and wanted to return to the mainstream.

Mr Naidu said the Jammu and Ladakh regions, which had been discriminated against over the years, deserved the healing touch on a priority basis. However, it was unfortunate that the PDP-Congress coalition government had failed to take any steps in this direction in the past eight months, eversince it came to power after a free-and-fair election. He said the Centre would be happy to accept any proposal of the state government for the development of the Jammu region.

It was unfortunate that the Congress and the PDP were guided by political considerations in the implementation of their “healing touch” policy.

He said the aim of the NDA government was to restore peace and ensure development in Jammu and Kashmir irrespective of which party was in power. The Centre would continue to give full support to the state government in this matter.

Mr Naidu said the Jammu and Kashmir Government should sincerely think of removing the regional discrimination at the earliest as the people might not wait for long. He said the eight-month rule of the Mufti government was too short a period to criticise the government, but the people, who had a lot of expectations, could not wait for long. The Mufti and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad should take immediate steps to remove the grievances of the people of Jammu and Ladakh.

He said the nomination of Mr N.N. Vohra as the Centre’s interlocutor was not only for solving the Kashmir problem but also for looking into the grievances of people of the Jammu and Ladakh regions. He said the BJP suffered a setback in the Assembly elections here as it failed to present a cohesive picture.

Mr Naidu said the issue of abrogation of Article 370 providing special status to Jammu and Kashmir was dear to the BJP, but it was unable to do so as the party did not get complete mandate and was heading a coalition government in which the views of the allies had to be taken into account.

He ruled out advancement of the Lok Sabha elections and said in the coming Assembly elections in five states, the BJP will seek the support of the people by highlighting the developments during the five-year rule of the NDA government against the 47-year regime of the Congress.

The Congress miserably failed to tackle terrorism, Kashmir problem, unemployment and regional disparities. On the other hand, the BJP had put the country on the path of prosperity.

Mr Naidu denied that the BJP came to power by exploiting the issue of Ram Temple at Ayodhya. The BJP was in favour of a legislation to pave the way for the construction of the temple, but it was not in a position to deviate from the agenda of the NDA.

He said the failure of the Congress governments in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram would be highlighted by the BJP.

PTI adds: The BJP today sought support for Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati’s initiative to resolve the Ayodhya issue and refused to enter into “public debate” with the VHP on the seer’s plan.

“If the Kanchi seer is taking an initiative to solve the issue amicably, all should support him without creating hurdles,” Mr Naidu told reporters.