Beef ban row: Ram Madhav holds meeting with PDP leaders to resolve differences

JAMMU: In the wake of row surrounding beef ban in Jammu and Kashmir and the state government's sacking of its two top law officers over the issue, senior BJP leader Ram Madhav today held meetings with his party leaders here in an attempt to bridge the differences between BJP and PDP.

"All other issues, including beef ban, our PDP-BJP government will handle these issues in a better way," Madhav told reporters after his day-long meetings here today.

Madhav, held three separate meetings with BJP leadership including with core group, ministers and legislators over various issues confronting the coalition government particularly beef ban and sacking of AAG and DAG unilaterally by Law Minister, who belongs to PDP, yesterday.

PDP and BJP coalition partners have a face-off on the issue of beef-ban, imposing of tax of vaishnodevi helicopters and sacking of AAG and DAG, which the BJP has termed as unilateral decision of PDP and condemned it.

"It is a government of PDP and BJP. Governments take decisions. All these issues will be discussed by the members in the government, ministers and others. They will tell you," he said in reply to question of ban beef and sacking of AAG and DAG.

On the question of unilateral decision taken by the PDP on several issues, he said, "Our people will brief you on how and what grounds they were taken."

"There are issues raised, which we have debated in totality. We want that government should function well on the common minimum programme and work for the interest of the state. This was our aim for holding such meetings today," he said.

"A coalition government is ruling J&K. We keep on meeting the leaders, the ministers and the legislators of the party to listen to them and provide them directions from time to time during the meetings," he said while spelling out the reason for his today's visit.

"This endeavor is going on and I keep coming to J&K in this regard. Earlier too I had come to Katra and held such meetings. Today also we sat for the whole day in the meetings with all of them," he said.

Replying to another question whether there was any difference between PDP and BJP in LAHDC elections in Leh, he said "there is no difference".