BJP May Soften Its Stand on Article 370 for JK Polls

Srinagar, BJP may soften its stand on the Article 370 in its poll manifesto for J&K Assembly to be released within next few days and seek discussion on the law granting special status to the State rather than scrapping it, the known stand of the saffron party.
“We have finalized the manifesto and it will be released within next few days,” BJP MP and party in charge for Jammu and Kashmir Avinash Rai Khanna told Express over phone.

He said the manifesto will be released before the code of conduct for first phase of polling in J&K comes into effect.

The first of the five phase polling for 87-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on November 25.

Asked whether the sensitive issues like Article 370, AFSPA, West Pakistan refugees will be included in the manifesto, Khanna said, “Every issue concerning the people of the State will be in the manifesto”.

He said the party has taken views of the party leaders both from Kashmir and Jammu before framing the manifesto.

The BJP leader said his party never called for scrapping of Article 370. “Some elements are trying to create fear among people by saying that BJP wants to scrap Article 370. We have always favoured discussion on the issue”.

In fact, he said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party’s senior leader Ram Madhav have favoured discussion on Article 370.

“We want discussion on the issue and it is the people, who will decide about Article 370,” he said.

The party has fielded over 30 Muslim candidates, mostly from Kashmir, for J&K Assembly elections and has gone all out for realizing its “Mission 44+” in the State to form next government.

BJP state vice president Ramesh Arora told media persons in Srinagar today that the saffron party won’t press for abrogation of Article 370 of the constitution if people of the State want it to continue.

“Our party favours debate and discussion on the issue. We will take people into confidence and assess its pros and cons for the State and proceed accordingly,” he said.

Arora, however, said aspirations of all three regions of the State would be taken into consideration while dealing with this sensitive issue.

Earlier, BJP’s candidate from Amira Kadal constituency, Dr Hina Bhat had openly opposed scrapping of Article 370, granting special status to J&K.

She had gone to the extent of saying that people will pick up guns if Article 370 was scrapped.