NEW DELHI: Indicating that the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not take “pro-active measures” on the core Hindutva agenda, the BJP is pinning hope on the judiciary to help the party deliver on its promises regarding the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, repealing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Though the Supreme Court had recently observed that the vexed Ramjanmabhoomi issue should be settled through out-of-court negotiations, a top BJP leader told the New Indian Express that “any attempt to find a solution through talks among the stakeholders is futile as there will be no larger acceptance in their respective communities”. The BJP leader dropped hints that the Modi government would not attempt to find a solution through back-channel negotiations among the stakeholders.
“The Allahabad HC has already settled the core question concerning the Ramjanmabhoomi issue, and the fact that a Ram temple existed there has been most authoritatively established,” he said.
He maintained that the party will stick to the common minimum programme (CMP) agreed upon with NDA ally People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir. After the PDP-BJP alliance came to power in the State, the PM in an address in Srinagar had said there should be a larger debate about the efficacy of Article 370.
“Indeed, it’s the core issue for the BJP. But we will not go beyond the CMP. However, that doesn’t mean that the BJP prefers status quo. The judiciary is already seized of the question of the validity of Article 35A (it gives special power to permanent residents in J&K and legislature to frame laws), “ he said.