Article 370 part of BJP agenda not NDA`s: Gadkari

Patna: Amidst controversy over the BJP raking up Article 370 during the Lok Sabha polls, its former president Nitin Gadkari Saturday clarified that it was an old issue for the party that was included in the BJP manifesto and not that of the NDA.

"Article 370 has been in our agenda and BJP will take a decision over it when it comes to power in full strength on its own," Gadkari said. Gadkari, who is member of the BJP Parliamentary Board, said like in the past it was not on agenda of NDA, but of the BJP. Inclusion of Article 370, which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Ram temple at Ayodhya and Uniform Civil Code in BJP poll manifesto for 2014 Lok Sabha elections has triggered widespread criticism from rival parties. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other JD(U) leaders were up on their feet as soon as the BJP manifesto with focus on these controversial issues was released. Hitting hard at his old ally, Kumar had said "this justified his party walking out of the alliance with BJP." Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party and other parties used the issue to intensify their criticism of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Facing criticism of being a communal party, Gadkari said: "Congress, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar are poisoning the society with continuously talking about casteism and communalism. These are multi-communal parties out to destroy the nation." Elaborating the meaning of `multi-communal`, Gadkari, flanked by former deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav, said the term denotes "last degree of communalism" applied to something which is "100 per cent communal."