Resolution has dangerous potential, says BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 4. Although the Bharatiya Janata Party has welcomed the Cabinet rejection of the autonomy resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the party has virtually acknowledged that the Government allowed a dangerous situation to come about.

The BJP president, Mr. Kushabhau Thakre, in a statement said the ``resolution had the dangerous potential of sowing the seeds of secessionism and ultimate balkanisation of the country.''

The BJP's strong reaction has to be seen against the background of the RSS resolution, adopted in Gandhinagar last week-end, which did not feel the need to treat the BJP's ally, National Conference, with kid gloves. The RSS resolution charged the NC with having a ``divisive communal mindset.'' Although it tried to blame the previous government for a drift in the Kashmir policy, the fact is that it came down heavily on the autonomy resolution, describing it as ``just short of secession,'' and reiterated its demand for the ``abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.''

It is this stand of the RSS, which has also led party leaders to point out that the NC was voicing just the ``Muslim fundamentalist'' demand, which neither the Hindus of Jammu nor Buddhists of Ladakh were backing. One party leader, Mr. J.P.Mathur, charged Dr. Farooq Abdullah, with having displayed a ``communal mindset,'' an attitude similar to that of the forces which had demanded the Partition of India in 1947.

The problem for the party is that it cannot easily get away from the fact that the NC is a full-fledged partner in the National Democratic Alliance, and that even at this stage the Vajpayee Government is not willing to distance itself completely from that party. Since the NDA Government is a coalition, the BJP cannot for long deny that the parts of the coalition are not parts of the Government.

The party hinted today that a dialogue would be started by the Centre with Chief Ministers on greater devolution of powers for the states after the Eleventh Finance Commission submitted its report.

The party as well as the NDA was committed to devolving more powers to the States, in the nature of more financial resources to allow them to develop. Mr Jana Krishnamurthi, BJP vice- president, today said that in the party's view the States already enjoyed enough political powers. What was needed was devolution of more financial powers.

The need for decentralisation and devolution of more powers to the States was entirely different from the kind of autonomy demanded by the NC. There was never any question of agreeing to any arrangement which would loosen the present federal structure.

The party's view is that even after the Cabinet decision today rejecting the autonomy resolution adopted by the Assembly, the NC may continue to make some noises. However, since almost no party is supporting the kind of autonomy the NC has backed, the BJP hopes that the issue will die down after a while.

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