BJP in Kashmir has no address, no men

When PM Vajpayee visits Srinagar, there will be no one from his own party to welcome him. The BJP is almost a non-existent party now followi...

When PM Vajpayee visits Srinagar, there will be no one from his own party to welcome him. The BJP is almost a non-existent party now following yesterday’s mass resignation by members of its Kashmir unit. What is worse, the party has been left without a postal address here because its Kashmir headquarters has been taken over by the deserters.

Around 200 partymen from Kashmir resigned en masse from the basic membership of the party yesterday after Abdul Rashid Kabuli, vice-president of BJP’s J-K unit and in-charge of Kashmir affairs, tendered his resignation before the party high command on April 1. The deserters, sources said, are likely to join an Opposition party in Kashmir.

Though Kabuli refused to divulge anything about his future plan of action, he, however, said they will take a unanimous decision soon about their joining a local party.

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Asked as to what prompted him to resign from the BJP, Kabuli said the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat, Central Government’s failure to take action against Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi for his alleged ‘‘patronage to rioters’’, anti-Muslim speeches by Sangh Parivar leaders, RSS resolution on Muslims and BJP MP Vinay Katyar’s alleged utterances forced him to take the decision.

He said no reply came to his letter addressed to the PM sent on March 21. No sooner did the executive body of the party’s Kashmir unit endorse Kabuli’s decision to resign than all six district presidents from Kashmir, heads of women’s and youth wings resigned.

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