SHAH: TRYING FOR CONSENSUS ON PREZ CANDIDATE
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday said the party was unfairly getting flak over presidential polls even when it was trying to build an all-party consensus over the candidate.
“We are meeting with them (Opposition) to seek suggestions. If we had to go for talks with our own names, they would have questioned us for making up our minds before engaging in talks with them. What would be better — seek their suggestions and then decide or decide first and then ask for suggestions?” said Shah when asked about Opposition’s charge that BJP was trying to draw out names from them but not sharing any of their preferences for the Presidential candidate.
“We are trying to work out a consensus but we can’t do it alone,” Shah added later.
The BJP president, who is in Mumbai on a three-day visit as part of the larger 95-day country wide tour to expand the organizational base of the party, was speaking at a press conference held at the party office in Dadar.
He, however, ducked question over the Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed’s call for talks with separatists to resolve the ongoing problem in the state.
“I have not seen or heard her statement on the issue, so, I cannot comment on it right now,” said Shah. However, the BJP president did point out that one cannot analyse the Kashmir issue looking at the last five to seven month period.
Speaking on the increased militant activity and ceasefire violations, Shah said, “Kashmir issue cannot be analysed based on last five to seven months. This has been going on since 1989…there have been phases since then of three-four-five months where such situations have arisen.’’
“Whenever security agencies have tightened their control, there has been a reaction but let me assure you that in some time this will be brought under control. Security agencies have already started work on it,” he added.
Six policemen from South Kashmir’s Anantnag district were killed and disfigured on Friday when militants ambushed their vehicle, the latest such attack on security forces in the troubled state.
Meanwhile, the BJP president, also sidelined the question on Shiv Sena’s suggestion to put up agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan as the Presidential candidate. Shah instead said that everyone’s suggestions would be considered and asked even the mediaperson asking the question to offer his own suggestion to the mix. He also said that in the next round the party would offer some of its own names and consider the names offered by the Opposition as well.
The BJP president, also chose to be non-committal over the violence in Darjeeling and the issue over Gorkhaland, saying the party had not yet decided its stance on the issue.
He, however, made light of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation of political conspiracy in fanning the Gorkhaland issue. He said, “Mamata ji sees political conspiracy even in the Army. If a plan doesn’t land, she calls it political conspiracy.”