12 Sep : The BJP has demanded the removal of CM Omar Abdullah, saying his govt has “completely collapsed” and warned that any dilution of AFSPA would only allow the separatists and miscreants to call the shots.
Top BJP leaders, who met at L K Advani’s residence in New Delhi on Sunday said, “it is time he (Abdullah)is replaced by a more acceptable person.”
An unpopular Chief Minister suffers a complete alienation from his people, it said.
The party came out with a one page statement accusing the Centre of being “completely devoid of any vision” on how to deal with the situation.
The meeting attended by Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, S S Ahluwalia and Ravishankar Prasad was held a day before the CCS meet which is expected to consider a slew of measures to address the volatile Kashmir situation.
The CCS is likely to discuss steps like partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act for breaking the impasse in Jammu and Kashmir.
In its statement, the BJP said that the last three months have seen a “sudden worsening” of the situation in the Valley.
The party cautioned the Centre against any dilution of AFSPA saying this is not the time for appeasement of separatists or vote bank politics.
“This is a time for action. The government should not under any circumstances consider lifting the AFSPA from any disturbed district of the state. The security environment must be strengthened, the miscreants must feel scared and not allowed to call the shots,” it said.
“Instead of realising the seriousness of the problem and attempting to resolve it, the central government is living in self-delusion that by diluting the applicability of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act it can appease the separatists,” the BJP statement said.
It said that the separatists wanted to push the government to “loosen the political relationship between India and the state of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“Once the government loses this battle of nerves, the separatists want to reject the concessions granted by the government and move to the next stage till they realise their declared object of Azadi,” the party said.
The myth that these are peaceful protesters out to make a political statement was shattered on Eid, it said attacking the state government for failing to “realise that mobs cannot be allowed to congregate in order to foment trouble.”
The party said that the developments of the last two days have convinced people that the security environment in the Valley must be strengthened and not diluted and accused the Centre of failing to realise the enormity of the problem and its seriousness.
Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “the BJP would like to warn that any weakening of the AFSPA is unacceptable and no attempt be made under political pressure to compromise the morale of the security forces who sacrificed their lives while fighting the terrorists and ensuring security.”
Decision to form govt in Jh’khad was to keep Cong out: BJP
The BJP has said the decision to form a government headed by it in Jharkhand was taken to keep Congress out of power in the politically-fragile state.
“The BJP has formed the government in alliance with Shibu Soren’s JMM and other outfits as part of its endeavour to keep the Congress out of power in that state,” BJP National General Secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters in Patna on Sunday.
All constituents of the BJP-led government headed by Arjun Munda decided to come together at their own free will not only to keep the Congress out of power, but in the larger interests of the people, he said.
The BJP-led government will provide good governance and development in the mineral-rich state for the remaining four years of the term of the state legislature in Jharkhand, Kumar claimed.
About three months ago at a press conference, Kumar had blamed JMM leader Shibu Soren for the last minute breakdown of government formation then and was quoted as saying that the BJP would not engage with the latter ever again.
Meanwhile, Arjun Munda was on Saturday sworn in as Jharkhand Chief Minister heading a BJP-JMM coalition at a ceremony skipped by top BJP leaders, including L K Advani, amidst reports of differences within the party over forming a government again with its erstwhile partner.
AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto and JMM leader Hemant Soren, son of former chief minister Shibu Soren, were also sworn in at the ceremony, which was earlier scheduled to be held at 11:00 am but took place at 11:55 am, considered a more auspicious time.
Advani and other leaders including Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley kept away from the function apparently unhappy over the party coming together with JMM after breaking ties earlier this year when the Shibu Soren voted for the UPA government during voting on cut motions in Lok Sabha.
BJP leaders are said to be miffed with party president Nitin Gadkari and former chief Rajnath Singh taking a decision on forming the coalition government in Jharkhand without involving others.
Governor M O H Farooq, who invited Munda to form the government on 9th September, had directed him to prove his majority on the floor of the house within a week.
The 42-year-old BJP leader, who became chief minister for a third time, is the eighth in 10 years since the mineral rich state was carved out of Bihar on 15th November, 2000.
Munda has the support of 45 MLA’s in the Assembly with an effective strength of 81.
No chief minister has ever completed a full term in the state.
The BJP and the JMM came back together after three months of parting company which had led to imposition of President’s Rule.
President’s Rule had been imposed in Jharkhand on 1st June with the Assembly being put under suspended animation after BJP withdrew support to the Shibu Soren-led government.
No party had come forward later to form an alternative government.