From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 5: BJP national general secretary Ram Madhavhas claimed that the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) arrived between the BJP and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir to form the government was in the national interest and for providing good governance and stable government.
"There is nothing in the common minimum programme that can be described as compromise by BJP on its core values and principles," he said pointing out that the CMP was aimed at providing good governance and stable government.
The CMP is a document for good governance and give development-oriented stable government, he told reporters on the margins of a talk on Current Socio-Political Situation in Jammu and Kashmir in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The BJP-PDP government in the valley is an alliance of governance, not ideological or political alliance, Madhav said.
"It is governance alliance, not ideological alliance. It cannot be categorised as political alliance also," he contended.
"We had a mandate which needed to be respected. Also, we had constitutional obligation to give a stable government in the state. We have tried to fulfil that constitutional obligation by working out CMP," he said.
He made it clear that BJP has not compromised its political stand on controversial Article 370. But for giving a stable and fulfilling constitutional obligations, the party formed a coalition government with PDP by arriving at Common Minimum Programme.
"We do not have common views on Article 370. But for giving a stable government and fulfilling constitutional obligations, we arrived at common understanding on the issue - to maintain the present constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
"I don't think there is any compromise on it. To achieve larger interests of the nation, politics offers us to go for impossibilities," he claimed.
Madhav said the BJP has taken a measured and calculated position on Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), an issue which the party and PDP have different views. The coalition government will examine the need for denotifying disturbed areas which consequently enable the centre, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a final decision on continuation of AFSPA in these areas.
The BJP-PDP government will examine the need for denotifying disturbed areas. It is the normal exercises which the government takes from time to time.
"This as a consequence will enable the Union Government to take a final decision on the continuation of AFSPA in these areas. It is in the hands of Narendra Modi, don't worry. Have faith in Union Goverment. We have taken a measured and a calculated position on the matters concerning AFSPA," he said.
The BJP leader said the state government will engage internal stakeholders including the Hurriyat in democratic process of bringing them into national mainstream by urging them to put down their guns.
"The Jammu and Kashmir government will talk to internal stakeholders irrespective of ideological predilections. It is important to engage them in democratic process of bringing them into the national mainstream," he said.
"A separatist leader took oath in the name of protecting Indian constitution. In fact this is a message to all - come and join the political process. Achieve your political objective in democratic manner. Leave the gun. After all what is the objective, it is the welfare and well-being of the people of Jammu and Kashmir through the very vibrant development process of our country," he added.
Any government without the BJP would have a non-representative government in Jammu and Kashmir, Madhav said. "Any govt without the BJP it would have been a non- representative government in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
"The entire mandate of Jammu was with us, so the larger responsibility was on us to form the government," he added.
Further elaborating on the nature of CMP, Madhav said eighty per cent of the document dwells upon the issues concerning development in Jammu and Kashmir, and other ten per cent each on governance and political issues.