Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that BJP has taken responsibility to serve the people of Jammu and Kashmir by entering into coalition with PDP without leaving its ideology. (File photo)
Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is jugular vein of Indian democracy, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said that BJP has taken responsibility to serve the people of the state by entering into coalition with PDP without leaving its ideology.
"Jammu and Kashmir is jugular vein of Indian democracy. By all means it is so," Mr Singh told BJP workers at a conference in Jammu.
The Union Minister of State in the PMO today asserted that BJP should not feel apologetic over the party's alliance with PDP as it has not compromised with its basic ideology while taking up the responsibility to serve the people of Jammu.
"We are being questioned as to why BJP entered into a coalition with PDP? The answer is simple that it is not mandate by choice, it is mandate by infliction. We never said that such a mandate should come in J&K. It is people who gave this mandate," Mr Singh told BJP workers.
He further said, "But with regards to dual membership, which came up after Emergency period as well, is that entering into this coalition does not mean that we have left the dual membership of BJP and RSS or we have distanced from our ideology or our policies. We cannot do it."
"We made the agenda of alliance for development and without leaving dual membership and ideology, we too have taken responsibility to serve people of Jammu which is a challenge for us and we will prove it.
"Why should we be apologetic in entering into coalition. We are appointees of BJP not any other party. It was decided by the party who will be posted where. Please do not be more loyal than the King," said Mr Singh.
"Jammu and Kashmir is the central point of politics for BJP in the entire country. In Jammu and Kashmir polls, issues are restricted to the state only but when it comes to the polls in Tamil Nadu and Assam, J&K was a poll issue there.
"We talked about the future of Jammu and Kashmir and strategy of development in J&K," he said, adding there is an added responsibility for BJP activists in the state.