BJP line to restive RSS: our Ministers may quit if PDP doesn’t behave

With a high-level meeting of the RSS this week expected to focus on the discord in the J&K ruling alliance, the BJP parliamentary board has agreed that if the PDP does not take its partner into confidence before taking decisions, it would ask its ministers in the Mufti Cabinet to step down.

According to sources, the board on Tuesday also authorised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a decision on continuing with the alliance in J&K.

With the controversial release last week of separatist leader Masarat Alam, a source in the BJP said that the board’s opinion was aimed at addressing the “increasing restiveness” within the RSS over the party’s ties with PDP.

“The RSS wants the BJP to use pressure tactics to bring the PDP in line. The chief minister of a coalition government cannot take unilateral decisions,” said the source.

The move came ahead of a meeting of RSS’ highest decision-making body, All India Pratinidhi Sabha, in Nagpur from March 13-15.

“The main discussion in the sabha (comprising delegates from all over the country) was expected to be on the Land bill and its repercussions on the party. But with the political developments in J&K, the Sabha will discuss the BJP-PDP alliance,” the source said.

Apparently, the RSS has conveyed its displeasure and its assessment over the developments to the BJP leadership through senior leader Krishna Gopal, its pointman in the party.

“RSS has taken the view that the J&K CM’s statements and the actions of the government have deeply damaged the party,” the source said.

“The impression among people is that the BJP has joined hands with a party that stands with separatists. People will not buy arguments about legal procedure and technical issues. RSS has decided that if things are not going according to the party’s line, the BJP should withdraw its support. As a first step, the BJP ministers should be asked to resign,” he added.

BJP sources added that Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Tuesday that his government’s top priority was national security and not the continuance of the government in J&K “reflects the RSS stand on the issue”.

Hiccups in the J&K alliance started almost as soon as Mufti Mohammed Sayeed took over as Chief Minister. Shortly after the swearing-in, Mufti had thanked “people from across the border” and Kashmiri separatists for allowing smooth elections in the state.

Alam, who had been arrested for spearheading the violent agitations in the valley in 2008 and 2010, was released from a Baramulla jail last week.

While the BJP has maintained that it had not been not consulted over the decision, PDP has said that the government had no reason to keep him under detention.

Prime Minister Modi had also expressed his displeasure over his ally’s move while stating in Parliament that the Centre was not kept in loop on the decision.

Source:: Indian Express