NEW DELHI: BIP president L.K. Advani, warmed the government against any package deal in Jammu and Kashmir seeking to undermine the state’s integration with the rest of the country.
“We will strongly oppose any turning of the clock backwards and would like to move forward towards complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian Union by removing the psychological barrier of Article 370,” Advani said in an interview out rightly rejecting the proposal for restoration of the pre1953 status to the state.
The BJP president, who has been reelected the party president for a second consecutive term, said the BJP was totally opposed to the holding of early elections in the state where the situation was not at all conducive for the voters to go and vote freely and fearlessly.
“But if elections are held and government thinks it will improve India’s image vis-à-vis the world, and it can improve only if the elections were not farcical as in Assam a few years ago, we will contest the polls,” Advani said.
Elaborating on Gujarat developments, Advani said that 35 of the 47 MLAS who had supported Vaghela had joined the BJP in the last three years and therefore “we have to be wary in our choice.”
In this context, he quoted the example of Delhi assembly when the selection of candidate shad led to some very ugly scenes at the party office which was “a unique experience and never seen before.”
However, “the party won a landslide victory in Delhi, But, that by itself was ‘warning for us and we laid down dos and don’ts for selection of candidates,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 27, 1995
