As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has adopted a “tough posture” by seeking concrete action to implement the “Agenda of the Alliance”, the BJP is maintaining a guarded silence to avoid any controversy at this crucial juncture.
“There is no need to react on individual statements of some PDP leaders. Let the party (PDP) leadership officially clear its stand,” state BJP president Sat Sharma said when his reaction was sought on the reported statement of former Education Minister Naeem Akhter.
Akhter, a senior PDP leader, today said his party expects concrete action on the agenda for governance agreed upon last year to continue an alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
He has reportedly sought a deadline for important issues such as return of power projects to the state, vacating state land from the possession of the security forces, including the Army, and initiating a dialogue with other groups.
“This is not Mehbooba Mufti or PDP’s official stand. It is a statement of an individual. Let us wait for a formal meeting with the PDP in which the official stand of the party will be clear,” Sharma said.
“I think there is no reason to react on every statement,” he added.
Sources in the BJP said party general secretary Ram Madhav, who has been assigned the job by the high command to restitch the alliance with the PDP, has given strict directions to the party leaders against giving controversial statements, which may lead to strained relations between the two parties.
Ram Madhav has reportedly taken some leaders to task for giving irresponsible statements on the coalition.
“Naeem Akhter has not raised new issues. These issues were earlier raised by the PDP leadership a number of times and the same are already incorporated in the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’,” said a senior BJP leader who wished not to be quoted. He said these issues were brought before Ram Madhav by a senior PDP leader a couple of days ago.
“The PDP leadership has promised that all issues incorporated in the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ will be implemented during the tenure of the present Assembly,” he added.
The BJP leader further said that the Union Power Ministry was mulling over the idea of handing over at least one power project, being manned by the Central agencies, to states where such projects had been set up. “Handing over a power project to J&K is not a big issue. Discussions are going on over the issue,” he said. “Power projects will be handed over to some other states also,” he added.
BJP maintains silence on PDP’s ‘tough’ stance
