* Says factionalism damaging party in J&K
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 10: Taking serious notice of ‘factionalism’ in the Congress party and staying away from the official meeting by some senior Congress leaders at Jammu today, AICC leader and Incharge Jammu and Kashmir affairs of the party, Rajni Patil (ex-MP) today asked PCC president GA Mir to issue notice to such members.
Party sources said that the AICC leader, who arrived here today on the directions of the party high command to take review of the party affairs and existing political scenario in J&K besides conducting introspection with regard to the recently held DDC elections and poor performance of the party, took exception to the non-participation of some senior party leaders in the meeting.
She said it was not a marriage function to have separate invitations to all. The Party had informed all the people concerned about her visit and review meeting with regard to DDC elections and detailed discussion over party affairs and performance. Moreover, this meeting was being convened at the party headquarters and not at the personal residence of any one. Every body should have participated in the meeting, she added.
Patil cautioned the ‘dissidents’ in the party and said that factionalism has already caused much damage and it will not be acceptable at all. She directed JKPCC president, Ghulam Ahmed Mir to serve notices to these party leaders and seek their explanation.
The AICC leader also announced that Congress would organise a massive protest on January 15 and Gherao Raj Bhawan in Jammu as part of nationwide program to observe the ‘Kissan Adhikar Divas’ and oppose the unprecedented price hike of petrol and diesel by the BJP Government.
She directed all party functionaries and frontal organizations to actively campaign for the nationwide protest programme of the AICC to expose the BJP’s “anti- farmers and anti-people moves” and register strong resentment in this regard.
Patil said that the party would monitor the active participation of all the functionaries and leaders to ensure the involvement of all party workers in the programms to further strengthen the organisation at all levels. She said that party would gear up its activities in the districs and constituency levels to highlight the policies and programmes of the party and expose the “wrong policies” of the BJP Government and its “failures on different fronts.”
She said that the party would solidly stand with the farmers in their ongoing struggle for justice and due rights and would fight for safeguarding their interests against the BJP government’s policies.
It is pertinent to mention here that former Dy Chief Minister Tara Chand, former Ministers Jugal Kishore Sharma, Ghulam Mohammed Saroori and Dr Manohal Lal Sharma besides some others were found absent during the meeting.
Sources further said that after arriving at Jammu Airport, Rajni Patil straightway moved to the party office, Shahidi Chowk this afternoon and held detailed meeting. She was accorded warm welcome by the PCC chief and other leaders present there.
JKPCC president, GA Mir and senior functionaries of PCC, former Ministers, former Legislators and DCC presidents of Jammu province attended the meeting at the party headquarters and discussed the outcome of the recently held DDC polls and the future course of action of the party.
Patil is here on two days tour to take stock of the political and organizational affairs in the wake of recent polls and to get feedback of the ground situation. She interacted with the party leaders for several hours. She will also interact with the party candidates in the DDC polls in different constituencies of Jammu province tomorrow at Kangra Fort, Barnai Jammu.
The party leaders gave the ground level reports and inputs about the recently held polls and put forth suggestions about the future course of action for the party to fight the divisive, communal and fundamentalist forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
The discussions shall continue with DDC candidates and different levels of party cadres tomorrow also, the party sources said.
The prominent leaders who attended the meeting included, vice presidents/ former Ministers Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla, RS Chib and Abdul Majid Wani; Th Balwan Singh, Kanta Bhan, Ravinder Sharma, Yogesh Sawhney, Manmohan Singh, Shiv Dev Singh, ex-MLA Ashok Sharma, ex MLA, Shabir Ahmad Khan and Ch Garu Ram both ex Ministers, T S Bajwa ex -MP, Th Balbir Singh, Ashok Dogra, Ved Mahajan, Krishan Chand Bhagat, former legislators, Th Hari Singh, Rajnish Sharma, Sheikh Mujeeb, Rajesh Sadhotra, S Gurdarshan Singh, Vinod Sharma, Pankaj Dogra, Shashi Sharma, Pawan Raina, Sheikh Aiyaz, Sanjeev Sharma, Sanjeev Sharma, Ch Sukhdev, Iqbal Dar, Babbal Gupta, Sahil Sharma, Ravinder Singh and others.
Meanwhile, Rajni Patil also paid visit to the house of former MP and veteran Congress leader, Madan Lal Sharma at Muthi in Jammu, who passed away recently after brief illness. She shared the grief of the Sharma family and prayed for the peace to the departed soul.
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