PDP-BJP ties under strain as Delhi talks tough on separatists, Afspa

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s tough stance on dialogue with separatists and a review of the Afspa has put a question mark on the alliance between the Peoples Democratic

NEW DELHI: The Centre’s tough stance on dialogue with separatists and a review of the Afspa has put a question mark on the alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP.

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The coalition government formed in February-March 2015 is guided by an agenda of alliance, which both the parties have from time to time described as a “sacred document”.

The framework agreement talks about taking the dialogue process initiated by the previous NDA government, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with all political groups, including the Hurriyat Conference, forward in the spirit of “insaaniyat, jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat”.

“Following the same principles, the coalition government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all internal stakeholders, which will include all political groups irrespective of their ideological views and predilections,” the document reads.

The PDP has been emphasising on dialogue and reconciliation as the way out of the current unrest in Kashmir. Its leaders have insisted that the PDP will act as a “bridge” between India and Pakistan, the Centre and the separatists and also between the Centre and Kashmiris.

Despite pressure from the PDP and opposition parties that dialogue should be held with all stakeholders, the Centre is of the view that meaningful talks cannot be held in the present circumstances.

The government’ s assessment is that there are “serious attempts to throwout a democratic ally elected government and install a Wahabi theocracy” in the troubled state, and that the need is to “establish the primacy of the state by acting tough against the protestors”.

As part of its “iron fist” policy, the Centre is sending 1,000 shells of chilli-based PAVA guns a day to replace pellet guns in Kashmir.

The Centre is also not in favour of reviewing the Afspa, a controversial law often blamed for alleged excesses by security forces. The Afspa was one of the contentious issues during the talks between the PDP and the BJP on government formation.

With the Centre showing disinclination on both these issues, it remains to be seen how the PDP will react to such assertions.