The president of the State unit of BJP and Lok Sabha MP, Ajay Bhatt, has said that the membership drive of the party is receiving unprecedented support. He said that the Narendra Modi Government’s decision to revoke provisions of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir has resulted in groundswell of support for the party. He said that the response of public on repeal of Article 370 proves that people want uniformity across the country.

Addressing media persons at State party office on Saturday, Bhatt claimed that a sort of competition has set in among the leaders of the Congress party to join BJP. “Chief whip of the Congress party in Rajya Sabha refused to issue whip for opposing Government’s resolution on Article 370 and preferred to leave the party. He has joined BJP now. Many more leaders are interested in joining but have certain limitation,’’ Bhatt said.

On the controversy surrounding his recent speech in parliament in which he had advocated for grant of benefit of reservation of SC for people of Bengali origin settled in Uttarakhand, the Nainital- Udham Singh Nagar strongly defended the stand taken by him. He said that some people are trying to misguide people on issue.

Bhatt clarified that the existing status of 19 percent reservation to SC, 4 percent to ST and 14 percent to Other Backward Castes (OBC) would remain untouched by the proposed reservation to people of Bengal origin settled in Uttarakhand. He clarified that the reservation benefit would not be provided to Rohingya Muslims as some mischievous elements are claiming. Bhatt said that a tag of East Pakistanis is still attached to the Hindus who migrated from there. They are living in the State from decades.

The BJP leader said that there are 1.75 lakh Bengalis residing in Uttarakhand. “The State Assembly has passed a resolution for providing benefit of reservation to Bengalis. Some mischievous elements are misleading people on the issue with an intention to target me. Action would be taken against such people,’’ he claimed.