JAMMU: Accusing Pakistan of working on its "unfinished agenda" to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India, BJP today said it is anti-separatists and will not give any concession to such forces.
"Pakistan is working on its unfinished agenda of separating the state of Jammu and Kashmir from India.
The anti-India agenda of Pakistan is to work against Indian interest and they are still working on this agenda to separate the state of J&K from India," senior BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
While addressing party's vision seminar here, he said that BJP wants to bring "nationalistic" mainstream political parties in J&K.
"There is no concession for the separatist forces in Kashmir, but we will work for the welfare of the common people in the Valley as well. BJP will work for the welfare of the common people of Kashmir and we always will be anti-separatists," he said.
Jaitley said that BJP is committed to provide secure and safe environment to the people of the state.
"Humanity does not demand that terrorists kill innocent people, harass them, it does not demand death of the innocent citizens in the hands of police and security forces in anti-terrorist operations. We are committed to ensure security of the common citizens," he said.
Commenting on the issue of regional discrimination being faced by the people of Jammu and Ladakh, Jaitley said that his party wants to end it.
"The residents of Jammu, Leh and Ladakh feel that they are discriminated, they are told to tolerate this discrimination as they are nationalist," he said.
"You are nationalist so you are expected to suffer," he said while referring to the distribution of resources, educational institutions and the division of Assembly seats between the three regions.
Jaitley said his party is committed to end the "regional imbalance" between the three regions of the state.
He said that BJP's mission 44 plus is aimed at ending the discrimination by empowering the people of the two "neglected regions" of the state.
"Mission 44 plus is crucial to have a say in governance, to have a say in politics, to have a political say for all the three regions of the state and to empower the neglected regions of Jammu, Leh and Ladakh," Jaitley said.
Attacking the two regional parties, NC and PDP, he said, "NC and PDP have an agenda to marginalise the two regions and the Congress has an agenda to get along with any political party that forms the government here".
He said that prior to Parliamentary elections when BJP projected Narendra Modi as party's Prime Minister candidate there were voices that said the party would become "isolated".
"I said it would be majestic isolation, some parties may get away from us, but people of the country would come closer to us.
There was an internal party debate on the issue as well, I had said that conventional arithmetic wont work, some people said we will get around 200 to 220 seats, but we crossed 272 mark as we got 280 seats in the elections," he said.
The Union Minister said that people of the country have rejected caste-based politics, "Everybody who was using caste politics got washed away, while BSP got zero, JDU got only two and SP only five seats," he said.
"Even dynastic politics and political dynasty all of them lost, traditional arithmetic lost," he said.
He said that BJP also emerged victorious in Haryana and Maharashtra and expressed hope that it would form the government in J&K as well.
"In Haryana we contested on 90 seats and won 50, in Maharashtra Shiv Sena was giving us only 119 seats to contest on and when we fought of our own we won 125. 30 years ago we had not imagined to contest the seats on which we emerged victorious this time," he said.
He said that the people of the country were now identifying themselves with the Prime Minister and that was the reason that people in record number come out to listen to him during his election rallies.
Jaitley said that as J&K was related to the ideology of Jan Sangh and BJP it held a special importance for the party.
Earlier while addressing an election rally in Channi area of Jammu, Jaitley asked the voters to bring BJP into power to end the regional discrimination with Jammu region.
"Now it's your turn, vote in one way and give a string mandate to the party. We will make sure that all the three regions of the state get equal treatment," he said.
While attacking the Congress for 2008 Amarnath land row, Jaitley said, "Congress that was in power at that time brought the country on the verge of polarization it was its failure that so much problem was created on the issue of a small piece of Land to Amaranth Shrine board".
He said that Jammu and Kashmir was filled with opportunities but the lack of development has left the people high and dry.
"The regional parties and dynastic politics have given nothing to the state and its time to throw them out, when you people will have your own government you will get equal say in the government and decision making," he added.