Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s appreciation for her ruling alliance partner, BJP, for “protecting special status” of J&K in the Presidential Order on GST has landed the saffron party in a piquant situation as it has always boasted about repealing of Article 370 for complete integration of the state with Indian state.
The Opposition, too, have upped the ante against the BJP’s complete “surrender” before the Kashmiri leadership on the GST issue, saying “they stand exposed on rhetoric over Article 370 by compromising with its ideology”.
The BJP, however, still considered the implementation of GST a “wonderful gift” to the people of the state.
“The passage of the GST on the birthday of great ideologue Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee is a true tribute to his selfless service for residents of J&K. He sacrificed his life fighting for abolition of the permit system,” said Sat Sharma, state BJP chief, who was given a “rousing welcome” on his arrival in Jammu after the implementation of the GST in the state.
“We welcomed the protection granted to the sensitivities and special status of J&K in the Presidential Order on GST. A step has been taken to respect and restore the dignity of the state’s people which unfortunately got bruised in the past,” Mehbooba had said during a discussion on GST in the Legislative Council in Srinagar on Friday.
She had added, “It is equally satisfying that for the first time in the state’s history that the sensitivities and concerns flagged by the government and Legislature of the state were duly incorporated by the Centre while issuing the Presidential Order. Otherwise during the last 70 years, unfortunately, Central laws were extended to the state in a manner which raised doubts in the minds of many people here.”
Harsh Dev Singh, former minister and Panthers Party chairman, mocked at the BJP’s claims of terming GST implementation a victory, saying, “Their (BJP leaders) statements are nothing more than a face-saving attempt as they surrendered before the separatists and Kashmiri leadership. They stand exposed on their boastful claims about Article 370 as the Kashmiri leadership managed to implement separate GST, with protection to separate status, in the state. The party did it on the birth anniversary of their founder Mukherjee whose soul might be cursing them for their meek surrender.”
State Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma took a dig at the BJP for “dual stance” saying the party which stood for the abrogation of Article 370 brought a resolution to safeguard the special status of Article 370 in paving way for the modified GST, which was otherwise extendable to the state by the simple concurrence of the state government.“More laughable is the BJP’s claim that it is a tribute and gift to Mukherjee on his birth anniversary, who struggled for abrogation of Article 370 special status to the state. The BJP leadership is trying to hoodwink and mislead their electorate over the implementation of the GST,” Sharma added.
Opposition ups ante against BJP’s ‘Surrender’ on GST Issue
