Home Minister complains to PM and Amit Shah about unnecessary briefings by leaders like Ram Madhav, the party’s pointsman and his own MoS Kiren Rijiju
New Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is quite upset over some key leaders in the ruling BJP and the government making hawkish statements and giving unofficial briefings to the media that affects his attempts to restore peace in the Kashmir valley, reeling under violence and curfew since past one month.
He is believed to have already complained to Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah about the unnecessary briefings by leaders like BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, the party’s pointsman to engage with coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his own Minister of Sate Kiren Rijiju. Ram Madhav is a fulltime RSS ‘pracharak’ deputed to the BJP for the last few years.
Sources in the Home Ministry said Rajnath had tough time in the all-party meeting on Wednesday because of the reports planted in the media that the government has decided to adopt a tough stance against the separatists. Leaders of various political parties forced him to pitch for a dialogue “with all stakeholders” in the state that means talks with the Hurriyat Conference and the separatists are not ruled out.
He later persuaded the BJP president to issue a stern directive to the party leaders and spokespersons “not to go overboard” and “exercise restraint” on the Kashmir unrest during the TV debates and interviews, noting that they should not spoil a “national mood” of unanimity among all political parties of diverse views created by the Modi government to handle the contentious issue.
Those taking hawkish postures in the party were advised by the BJP president that the message has been already conveyed that it cannot be business as usual and so the efforts should now be to give the impression of a positive approach. Rajnath Singh was satisfied with the advisory, but only momentarily.
Much to his chagrin, yet another report was planted on Friday that it is of no use holding talks with Hurriyat leaders and separatists to exorcise the spectre of violence since they had become irrelevant in the prevailing situation; an engagement with them will not yield any result since no one controls the stone-pelters any more.
The report said the protests are led mainly by students and youths radicalised and indoctrinated by the religious fundamentalists and funded by Pakistan. It said unlike in the past, the scope for a political intervention has shrunk since the agitation is rooted not in any genuine grievance but in the grievances built up in the precincts of mosques mushrooming across the valley.
