JAMMU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday welcomed the Government of India’s rejection of the award passed by the Court of Arbitration at The Hague concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, describing the move as a firm assertion of India’s sovereignty and national interest.
In a statement, BJP J&K spokesperson Parimoksh Seth said the Narendra Modi-led government had made it clear that India’s sovereignty, security and national interests would not be compromised.
He said the Centre has maintained that the Court of Arbitration was “illegally constituted” and lacked jurisdiction over sovereign decisions taken by India in its national interest.
Seth said the government’s stand reflected what he described as the approach of “New India”, where no foreign forum or external body would be allowed to dictate terms on matters involving the country’s sovereign rights.
He further said BJP J&K fully supported the Centre’s position that the proceedings and pronouncements of the arbitration body have no bearing on India’s sovereign decisions.
Referring to the Indus Waters Treaty, Seth said the Government of India has reiterated that its decision to keep the treaty in abeyance would remain in force until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” gives up its support for cross-border terrorism.
The BJP spokesperson also said the Indus waters are closely linked to the rights, development and security interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the country at large.
“India cannot permit its sovereign rights over its natural resources and development projects to be subjected to an illegitimate external process,” he said.
Seth added that the message from the Centre was clear that decisions concerning India’s national interest would be taken by India itself.
BJP J&K also condemned what it termed attempts to use international forums on the Indus Waters Treaty issue and reiterated its support for the Modi government’s stand on sovereignty, national security and water resources.
