Date:14/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091455060800.htm

National

Paswan slams BJP demand for separate area for Pandits

Special Correspondent

Ram Vilas Paswan

NEW DELHI: Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) president and Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday described the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) demand for creation of a separate area within the Kashmir Valley for Kashmiri Pandits as unconstitutional.

In his critique of the BJP demand – made by party president Rajnath Singh in his opening address to the party’s three-day national executive committee meeting in Bangalore on Friday – Mr. Paswan said it was against the basic tenets of the Constitution.

In turn, Mr. Paswan asked, will the BJP ask for creation of separate areas for Dalits to ensure their security and welfare. He pointed to the atrocities committed on these disadvantaged sections every day. A crime is committed against Dalits every 18 minutes; three Dalit women are raped and two Dalits murdered every day; 33 per cent of village public health workers refuse to visit Dalit homes; and are denied access to water sources in 48.4 per cent villages because of segregation and untouchability.

According to Mr. Paswan, the need of the hour is to assuage the feelings of all the communities and encourage national integration while the BJP is practising divisive policies for petty electoral gains.