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BJP to ride Article 370 for J&K polls

With the assembly polls in the state of Jammu and Kashmir round the corner, the BJP has once again reiterated that scrapping of Article 370 was very much on its agenda. Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday emphasised that the BJP’s stand on Article 370 was ‘very clear’ and that all issues which have been mentioned in the party’s manifesto, including the provision, will be on its agenda.

‘All issues (including Article 370) which have been part of the BJP manifesto all these years will be part of the agenda. They will continue to be so,’ said Singh who is the minister of State, PMO, while inaugurating BJP Media Centre for its ‘Mission 44+.’ He was replying to a question if BJP has dumped the issue of Article 370, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, during the upcoming Assembly elections.

‘The ideological issue (Article 370), toward which you point, BJP’s stand is very clear on it and it is known to you. But in each election at each given time, you have to prioritise and you have to go by the aspiration of the people. The aspiration of the people as of now, in 2014, in November and December, when we go to polls, is to liberate this state and people from years and years of mis-governance, corruption and misappropriation of Central funds,’ he said.

To a question on some sitting BJP MLAS resigning from party to fight against it, he said, ‘I do not want to indulge into a debate over it. There is inner party democracy in BJP. It is the only party which is not governed by dynasty or family.’

‘There is selection of panels and it is being approved by the Parliamentary Board. Everybody should consider himself as a contestant, but once a candidate is announced, the party and its leaders and worker forces stand by the candidate,’ he added.

On a question if the party here is banking solely on prime minister Narendra Modi, Singh said, ‘Across party lines, it is being accepted by one and all that Narendra Modi is the tallest leader in the country now.’

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