BJP committed to Agenda of Alliance with PDP: DyCM

The BJP is committed to the Agenda of Alliance, which forms the bedrock of its coalition government with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir and provides for maintaining status quo on constitutional matters like Article 35A Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said today.
At the same time, he said the stand of his party, the BJP, on Article 35A as well as Article 370 is well known but the matter is sub-judice.
"As of now, the (PDP-BJP) coalition government is running on Agenda of Alliance (AoA) in which we have maintained status quo on on the constitutional matters," Singh told reporters here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated the same thing, he said quoting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who met him in New Delhi yesterday.
Singh was responding when asked to comment on a controversy generated on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
"But on the other hand, we (BJP) are sticking to our BJP party's manifesto. When such a time comes (to implement BJP manifesto), we will see what is to be done. But as of now, the government is based on AoA, in which we have maintain status quo on constitutional matters," he said.

Replying to a question about his comments of the Article 35A, Singh said, "it is a constitutional matter. All are aware about the stand of BJP on it. We are sticking to our stand.

"The government has been running in the state on the basis of Agenda of Alliance. The matter is subjudice. It is in the Supreme Court. So it will not be feasible for me to comment on it."
He said that the PDP-BJP government had been formed on the Agenda of Alliance and "We are committed to it."
Mehbooba had yesterday said that the prime minister had given "100 percent" assurance of backing the Agenda of Alliance.

Article 35A of the Indian Constitution has come under focus after two women born in the state approached the Supreme Court, contending that their rights of residency have been snatched due to this provision.
"Before the formation of the government (last year), there was three-month-long debate on all the issues and only after that the government was formed (in J&K)," Singh said.
On the reports of differences between PDP and BJP, he said, "these are mere speculative reports.