The BJP’s internal strife in Kashmir has spread to the capital, and now the party’s senior leadership is on its way to the Valley to try to settle things down and convince the angry party leaders not to cause any trouble.
Almost one hundred party officials, activists, and workers reportedly met with BJP J-K chairman Ravinder Raina for an extended period of time in Srinagar.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the discussion lasted for three hours, during which time “the aggrieved party men briefed the BJP chief about certain issues that have triggered a rift in the middle and lower rung leadership and workers.”
Despite the party chief’s assurances that everyone should remain calm and united, according to him, the meeting was fruitless and produced no concrete results. According to the source, Raina urged everyone to avoid the problems and conflicts at all costs, saying that “BJP was a big party where tensions and rifts have no place.”
Party leaders, however, refused to budge and demanded action be taken to address their concerns, which they summed up as the “interference of leaders who have no domain to direct or diktat the Kashmiri leaders and workers.”
A prominent member of the party who asked not to be identified indicated that several other topics were covered during the gathering.
Our only goal was to make sure the party boss knew how serious our concerns were. We achieved our goal, and now it’s up to the party chairman to make a decision, the leader said.
He responded cautiously when asked whether they had threatened mass resignation: “We conveyed our grievances to party chief and put forth our demands as well, let’s see what the party’s response would be.”
There have been reports that the “internal wrangling” within the BJP has reached the party’s top brass in New Delhi, prompting the party’s national leadership to go to Kashmir in an effort to put out “the flames before it takes the ugly turn.” Tarun Chug, the national general secretary of the BJP, will visit the Kashmir chapter of the party on August 13. They further added that on August 25, BJP national general secretary (Org) B L Santosh will also visit Kashmir.
All measures would be done to keep the flock together, they claimed, including a face-to-face meeting between BJP leadership and the unhappy leaders. Interestingly, it has been claimed that if their demands are satisfied, BJP leaders in Kashmir have vowed to quit.(KNO)
