The Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly opposed any move to settle border disputes with Bangladesh “hurriedly.”
“The BJP is firmly opposed to any hurried border dispute settlement with Bangladesh and it must be a part of comprehensive solution of all issues, including the most important issue of infiltration,” said a political resolution passed in a BJP national council meeting in New Delhi last month.
Bangladesh and India signed the land boundary agreement to resolve border disputes in 1974. Dhaka ratified the agreement the same year, but New Delhi is yet to ratify it.
After repeated attempts, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid placed the bill in Rajyasabha, the upper house of Indian parliament, last year – amid strong resistance from different stakeholders – to amend the constitution to pave the way for the ratification.
In response to a question on BJP’s resistance on the issue at a press briefing last year, Salman said: “We are moving forward with full consultations and full involvement of all stakeholders and it will be of course my duty to ensure that it gets passed in the parliament with cooperation of all parties, including the main opposition, the BJP.”
The BJP resolution blamed that massive Bangladeshi infiltration was the main reason behind recurring violence in Assam.
“The BJP firmly believes that Congress collusion in massive Bangladeshi infiltration is the root cause of recurring violence in Assam.”
The party viewed that Assam problem should be treated as Indian versus foreigner issue, not as Hindu versus Muslim.
“However, those Hindus who are forced to leave both Pakistan and Bangladesh because of religious persecution must be given due safety and security and refugee status.”
BJP prime minister candidate Norendra Modi at a meeting in Assam a few days ago reiterated the same view.
About the relationship with neighbours, the resolution said: “Today relationship with practically all the neighbouring countries is at an all-time low. There has been a repeated incursion by China into our territory.”
BJP President Rajnath Singh at the national council meeting alleged that China was trying to create an anti-India atmosphere in the neighbourhood. “And it’s not just Pakistan that is under China’s influence, but anti-India elements have become active in countries like Bhutan,” he said. He also alleged that Washington ignored New Delhi’s view on Bangladesh issue.
“The US has sought Pakistan’s views on Bangladesh while completely ignoring India’s interest. This is highly objectionable,” Rajnath said.
In an interview with the Hindu newspaper last December, Salman Khurshid said: “There were obviously some differences of perception [with respect to Bangladesh] that I noticed last time I was there [Washington], particularly in the dealing of the present government with some of their own internal institutions.”
Salman said: “While the US is at some distance from Bangladesh, we are right next to it. So, our understanding of the region and understanding of sentiments of the people in the region should be helpful in the positions they want to take.”
The BJP president at the council meeting congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on again forming the government. “[He] expects her to display the same promptness in protecting minority communities and their places of worship that she showed in dealing with the extremist elements.”
However, BJP leader of the opposition in Rajyasabha Arun Jaitly in a statement just after the January 5 election said: “India, which has thousands of kilometres of borders with Bangladesh, would like to see a peaceful poll accompanied by continuation or transfer of power. It has not happened. We hope that the political process in Bangladesh stabilises and important political parties are in a position to settle their domestic political issues.”
