BJP stirs the Amarnath pot as Azad is told to prove strength by next Monday

Azad’s government was reduced to a minority after coalition partner PDP walked out, spearheading a campaign to protest the transfer of land to the shrine board. Though the numbers are stacked against him, Azad, in a communication to the Governor yesterday, claimed he continued to enjoy majority support in the House and was ready to prove it any time.

In the J&K House of 87, the Congress has 22 members and the support of 15 Independents while the PDP has 17. The Opposition National Conference, which has 24 MLAs, has ruled out support to Azad during the floor test. It is also highly unlikely that the PDP will back the government if the land transfer order is not revoked.

But the announcement that the shrine board will not get the forest land has led to protests by the BJP and Hindu organisations in the Jammu region. Their supporters blocked roads and clashed with police at several places today.

The BJP central leadership, in the meantime, has called a special meeting of its office bearers in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the issue. BJP sources said the party views the Amarnath development as “surrender of government machinery to separatist forces” and is planning an agitation on the issue.

The Congress, on the other hand, tried to blame former Governor S K Sinha for the land transfer row, suggesting he has a track record of “fuelling problems”.