Reddy asks Cong to clear stand on 370 restoration
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Election Committee is meeting at party Headquarters in New Delhi tomorrow to finalise the names of candidates for Assembly elections of Jammu and Kashmir UT and Haryana State going to polls in September and October.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
According to party sources, the Central Election Committee headed by party president, J P Nadda will meet tomorrow afternoon at New Delhi which among others will be attended by its other members including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national general secretary (Org), B L Santosh and party election Incharges of J&K including Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Ram Madhav, national general secretary, Incharge J&K and Ladakh UTs, Tarun Chugh, Union Minister , Dr Jitendra Singh, party co incharge J&K Ashish Sood, MP, Jugal Kishore Sharma.
The meeting will finalise the names of candidates for J&K UT and Haryana Assemblies, sources said, adding the names of the candidates for the first phase of elections in J&K slated to be held on September 18 will be announced by tomorrow night.
Sources said the senior BJP leaders from J&K including party president, Ravinder Raina, general secretary (Org), Ashok Koul, MP, Jugal Kishore Sharma, national secretary, Dr Narinder Singh and senior party leader, Devender Singh Rana will leave for New Delhi early tomorrow morning to attend the meeting.
It may be recalled that the party Election Committee meeting was held at Union Capital yesterday which besides prevailing political situation in J&K also discussed the names of probable candidates to be fielded in Assembly elections in UT. But the meeting remained inconclusive as Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is also member of party’s National Election Committee was out of country. As PM returned from his tour of Poland and Ukraine tonight he will also participate in tomorrow’s crucial meeting to finalise the names of candidates for J&K and Haryana, sources added.
The first phase of elections to 16 seats of South Kashmir and eight seats comprising of three districts of Jammu region including Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban is scheduled to be held on September 18. The last date for filing of nominations is August 27.
Meanwhile, Union Minister, G Kishan Reddy, who is also election Incharge J&K and party co Incharge J&K, Ashish Sood held a press conference at Delhi today and asked Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi to clear their party’s stand on National Conference poll manifesto advocating for restoration of Article 370 and opposing the implementation of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s Constitution in J&K.
G K Reddy, while making a scathing attack on Congress said by making a pre poll alliance with NC, the Congress should tell nation whether it supports the communal, pro secessionist, pro terrorist and pro extremist agenda of NC. “Rahul Gandhi who takes the Indian Constitution in hand everywhere should tell the nation does his party too side with NC which is talking of restoring the Article 370 in J&K and not allowing the implementation of Indian Constitution,” he added.
Reddy said the restoration of 370 is against the basic tentacles of Indian Constitution. “Restoring 370 means support to terrorism, secessionism and extremism. The Acts changed by the Government in the UT after the abrogation of 370 for welfare of the people will have to go after restoration of the controversial Article as NC has announced to abrogate them”, he added.
Reddy said Rahul should clear that by joining pre poll alliance with NC does Congress favour releasing of the terrorists put in jails and boost the separatist tendencies in the UT. “The NC’s manifesto is indicating that party will boost terrorism and it will be a great setback to development and peace which was restored in the UT after hard efforts by Modi Government”, he added.
Lambasting the NC and Congress parties, the Union Minister said with the restoration of Article 370 their intention is to snatch the rights of women, weaker sections and make the Mahila Atrocities Act and Child Marriage Act null and void. Reddy said “We should not see the abrogation of Article 370 from religious point of view and people of J&K are happy with its abrogation”.
The Union Minister also criticised the NC which in its manifesto has advocated talks with Pakistan and starting trade with neighbouring country. He said these issues are in the jurisdiction of Central Government and State has no right to take a decision on such issues. “The NC and Congress should tell the people which trade they want to do with Pakistan,” he added.
He said is Rahul Gandhi against granting of reservation to Paharis, Gujjars etc. The peace prevailed in the UT of J&K after abrogation of 370 and situation completely changed after that and the NC and Congress want that violence should grip the UT again, he added.
He said they changed the names of Shankaracharya and Hariparbat hillocks by Thakt Suliman and Kohi Maraan and this is an attack on Hindus faith. This way they are trying to divide the people on the basis of religion for votes and Congress should clear its stand on “anti- Hindu” stance of NC, he added.
Ashish Sood, while lambasting Congress and NC said when the name of Aurangzeb road was changed to Abdul Kalam road a hue and cry was raised in the country by some parties but today no one is talking when the name of two hillocks which are attached to ancient Hindu civilization of Kashmir have been changed by NC. They are trying to snatch the rights of SC and ST as well as women by restoring Article 370, he added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
