The Hindu : Samata questions BJP's stand on Article 370

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003

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National

Samata questions BJP's stand on Article 370

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN.21. The Samata Party, a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance, today questioned the BJP's stand on abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, stating that it could cast a shadow on the peace talks the Centre was holding with the Naga rebel group, NSCN (I-M), since Nagaland too enjoyed a special status.

Reacting to the BJP statement that it would continue to raise its demand of doing away with the special status conferred on Jammu and Kashmir, a common civil code and construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya, the Samata Party said the BJP had not seen the issue of abrogation of Article 370 in totality.

"At a time when the Vajpayee Government is holding peace talks with the Naga group, talk of abrogation of Article 370 could send a wrong signal since Nagaland too has a special status under Article 371 A. We feel the BJP has not fully understood its implication," the party spokesman, Shambu Shrivastwa, said at a press conference.

The Samata was also intrigued at the timing of the BJP announcement since these issues did not concern the State Assemblies. "They have to be decided by Parliament; neither the BJP Government in Himachal Pradesh nor the Congress Government in Madhya Pradesh can resolve them."

The party had no problem insofar as the BJP's commitment to the National Agenda of Governance was concerned. It wondered whether the BJP would raise the issue in the NDA coordination committee meeting.

The Samata also announced that it would contest next month's Assembly elections in Nagaland under the banner of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, which includes the Naga People's Front and the Nationalist Congress Party. The alliance would hold a public rally at Kohima on January 31, where they would release a common minimum programme to capture power in the State, now ruled by the Congress.

The rally would be addressed by the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, and the NCP general secretary, P.A. Sangma. Apparently, plans to include the BJP in this alliance have hit a roadblock due to differences over seat-sharing.

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