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Chinese Soldiers in Gilgit Region
BJP wants govt to clarify in Parliament
Tribune News Service

BJP leader Rajnath Singh, who was in Chandigarh on Sunday, has demanded the scrapping of Article 370 saying it is an “impediment” to J-K’s progress

Chandigarh/Amritsar, August 29
Former BJP President Rajnath Singh today demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should immediate clarify the government’s stand on reports that Pakistan was handing over de-facto control over the Gilgit-Baltistan region in PoK to China.

Talking to mediapersons here, Rajnath Singh said the Prime Minister should give a statement on the issue immediately in Parliament. He said the issue of the reported influx of Chinese soldiers into the Gilgit region was serious and that complete facts in the case needed to be put before countrymen.

The BJP leader also demanding the scrapping of Article 370 saying it was an impediment to the progress of the state and also responsible for the present state of affairs. He said the Centre should also be transparent about discussions it was having with various political parties in Jammu and Kashmir. He said if it had the required strength, the BJP would scrap Article 370 once it came to power at the Centre.

He also spoke on Home Minister P Chidambaran’s comments on “saffron terror”, claiming terror did not have any colour or creed. He said the remark should be withdrawn immediately. Rajnath Singh also alleged that the CBI was being misused by the Centre particularly in the case pertaining to the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said in Amritsar today that China and Pakistan had been practising the “policy of pinpricks” and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should convey to both countries that India was capable of facing any challenge.

During his transit visit in Amritsar, Sinha stressed that history bore witness to the disparaging approach of both the nations and the continuous pinpricks they administered to India. “The Prime Minister should show courage to tell both China and Pakistan in very clear terms that India will not tolerate any mess around,” he added.

Sinha opined that India’s relationship with both the neighbouring countries had been of complex nature. “They want terrorism and dialogue to go simultaneously. India should not go in for any dialogue with Pakistan and China until they stop funding and sheltering terrorism in J&K”, he said.

Later, Sinha visited the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Durgiana Temple. Meanwhile, his journey to Chandigarh got delayed for a few hours due to a technical snag in the special plane hired for his tour. The snag could not be rectified till the filing of the report. He was on his way to Chandigarh to meet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to discuss certain “difference of opinions” cropped up between BJP and SAD leaders.