[It's exactly a week that had posted a mail under the caption: 'PDP-BJP Government Takes Over in J&K: The Fun Begins' (see:<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/india-unity/conversations/messages/55606>).]
I/II. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bjp-flays-decision-to-free-masarat-alam/article6971680.ece Updated: March 9, 2015 03:07 IST Masarat release tests BJP-PDP alliance ZAHID RAFIQ VARGHESE K. GEORGE Though conflicts in the coalition were expected, the release of Masarat Alam has become a thorny issue in BJP-PDP ties within days of forming the government. File photo The tenuous nature of the partnership between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to the fore on Sunday, seven days after their coalition assumed power in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's decision to release separatist leader Masarat Alam from prison on Saturday has got the BJP crying foul, with the party describing the decision as "unilateral and unacceptable." At a meeting in Jammu on Sunday, 23 of the 25 BJP legislators and senior officials decided to convey the party's displeasure formally to the Chief Minister. Responding to the PDP's statement that Mr. Alam's release was within the ambit of the common agenda, Jugal Kishore Sharma, a senior BJP leader, told The Hindu, "We categorically do not agree with this decision. This is neither the BJP's decision nor the coalition government's decision; it is a decision of the PDP alone." While both parties have been clear from the beginning that such situations of conflicting positions could be expected -- the Opposition National Conference even termed the verbal duel a mere match-fixing -- the intense attack from foes and friends alike has put the BJP under pressure, party sources in Delhi said. Ally Shiv Sena blamed the BJP's "opportunism," while the Congress said Jammu and Kashmir exposed its "double standards." Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said: "The BJP is responsible for whatever is happening in Jammu and Kashmir today." The BJP is mindful of the fact that any perceived weakness on Jammu and Kashmir can have electoral consequences elsewhere. Bihar goes to polls later this year. The divergence in the respective constituencies and vote banks of the two parties, which were described by Mr. Sayeed as "polar opposites," seems to have exacerbated the cracks in the BJP-PDP alliance in the first week in power. While the PDP needs some bold political moves, such as the release of Mr. Alam, in its attempt to regain the trust of the people in the Kashmir Valley who it seems to have distanced from it by allying with the BJP, the latter has to answer to not only its Hindu vote bank but also its right-wing organisations such as the RSS, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal. II. http://www.firstpost.com/politics/hurriyat-leader-masarat-alams-release-has-put-alliance-with-pdp-in-danger-says-bjp-2141721.html Hurriyat leader Masarat Alam's release has put alliance with PDP in danger, says BJP Mar 8, 2015 08:10 IST Jammu: The release of top separatist leader Masarat Alam on Saturday on the orders of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has not gone down well with ally BJP which said it could spell "danger" to the ruling coalition while the security establishment felt there could be a major threat to peace in Jammu and Kashmir. File photo of Masarat Alam. IBNLiveFile photo of Masarat Alam. IBNLive "Masrat Alam is a threat to the national security as he is not a political prisoner but a terrorist. The BJP will never tolerate his release. If such anti-national, pro-Pakistan leaders are released, it would be very difficult to run the coalition government," state BJP's youth wing chief and party MLA from Nowshera Ravinder Raina told PTI. "This coalition will be in danger as we will never accept this. We will protest against the release of this anti-India leader," he said. Raina said the release of anti-national leaders was in violation of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) that the two parties had agreed upon before forging an alliance to form the government in the state. "It would be difficult for BJP to continue with PDP... We have formed the government with PDP based on CMP, we formed government for peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir. All these issues have been kept out of the purview of the CMP and it (release of Alam) is a violation of the understanding between the two parties," he said. He said release and rehabilitation of militants was not part of the CMP. "Our coalition is the result of the CMP and surrender policy and rehabilitation of terrorists is not part of it, these actions are the violation of the CMP," he said. Terming the release of Alam a "major threat" to national security, Raina said it could further fuel militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. "He provokes the youth to join anti-India protests, he sends youth to Pakistan for arms training, he is the close associate of Syed Ali Shah Geelani," he added. He said Alam was more dangerous than the terrorists. "The BJP will protest against this and we will definitely talk to the Union Government over this". "If you check his speeches, this man is spewing venom against Indian security forces. He has masterminded attacks on Indian security camps. So the release of such kind of anti-national person will be objected what and come what may we will never tolerate his release," he said. The security establishment also feared a threat to security in J and K following Alam's release. "It will be great security risk and threat to the peace in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Kashmir Valley, where he has triggered two major stone pelting agitation in which large number persons lost lives in valley", a senior Police officer told PTI. Alam is the mastermind of the 2008 and 2010 unrest in Kashmir Valley in which a number of lives were lost during the stone-pelting agitation. The officer, who has worked in various places in Kashmir, said, "he is more stronger and powerful leader than Syed Ali Shah Geelani and has huge cadres in stone-pelters and youth". PTI -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
