Refrain from anti-Kashmir remarks, Amit Shah to BJP leaders

 

BJP national president, Amit Shah, Saturday asked the party leaders to refrain from making anti-Kashmir remarks after Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, complained before PM, Narendra Modi, that BJP leaders were putting government in tight spot over their statements on handling of Kashmir protests.

Chairing the party’s strategic group meet at Jammu today, Shah has asked the BJP leaders to connect with the people in Kashmir. The strategic group meeting was attended among others by the state president, Satpaul Sharma, party national general secretaries Ram Lal and Ram Madhav, J&K in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna, minister of state in the PMO Jitendra Singh and deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh.

The PDP and BJP had witnessed war of words after the recent remarks as both Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, and Deputy Chief Minister,Nirmal Singh, earlier rushed to New Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to sort out differences between coalition partners which were triggered over the mode of handling the protests in Kashmir. The PDP and BJP entered into squabble over the handling of street protests in Kashmir.

PDP leader and Education Minister, Altaf Bukhari, had said that BJP National General Secretary, Ram Madhav’s, remarks that “everything is fair in love and war” over use of human shield by army would legitimize crime. The BJP hit back stating Minister’s remarks would “encourage separatists and other secessionists.”

Earlier PDP Vice President, Sartaj Madni, reacted sharply to the BJP Minister Chandra Prakash Ganga’s remark that youth throwing stones in Kashmir should be dealt with bullets.

 

BJP spokesman, Khalid Jehangir, however said that the party leaders were not issuing the anti-Kashmir statements. He said that the BJP president asked the Ministers and MLAs to reach out to the people of Kashmir to ensure that unrest is tackled.

Shah earlier reached Jammu today morning for a two-day visit, which is his first to state after PDP-BJP formed the government about three years ago.

The visit came days after CM and Deputy CM met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ongoing unrest had figured in the meeting. PDP also remains miffed with BJP after the defeat of its candidate in the legislative council elections as BJP voted for its candidate in contravention to the electoral understanding between the two parties. BJP national president also met the party legislators, ministers and workers to assess their view on the situation in Kashmir.

Jahangir said that Shah’s visit to Jammu is part of the nationwide tour program. The program will last for over 93 days. Earlier Shah was received at the airport by senior party leaders and his cavalcade was taken in a procession to the Jammu Convention Centre.

On Sunday BJP national president will meet the leaders of different wings of the party at the Trikuta Nagar office and hold discussions with party MPs.

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