Big jolt to Cong as Sham joins BJP, says to fight for cause of Jammu

Senior Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma joining BJP at Jammu on Saturday. -Excelsior/Rakesh
Senior Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma joining BJP at Jammu on Saturday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

‘People should join hands to teach Kashmir parties a lesson’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 30: Congress received a big jolt in Jammu and Kashmir State today as one of its senior leaders and former Minister, Sham Lal Sharma joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Party national vice president, Avinash Rai Khanna and State president of the party, Ravinder Raina at BJP Headquarter here this afternoon.
Soon after joining the party, Sham Lal Sharma took a dig at Congress and other Kashmir centric opposition parties. He slammed them for playing with the cause of Jammu region and ignoring it completely to appease a particular section of people in the Valley.
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Lambasting the grand old party, Congress which he said has a history of 135 years, Sham said the party has trucked with Kashmir centric parties like National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the aspirations of the people of Jammu region. The party supported the anti national parties to please a particular section of people and worked against the cause of Jammu.
He said these parties who claim to be secularists should elaborate the definition of secularism and explain what they mean by secularism. “The Congress is no longer that party which it was during the time of father of nation Mahatma Gandhi and it has become a pseudo secular party now”, he added.
Congress which joined hands with the PDP and NC challenged Jammu and it is high time that Jammu people should join hands to teach these parties a lesson once for all. The Kashmir centric parties were unnecessarily poking their nose to hit the Jammu cause and he has always raised his voice against it while in Government or outside it.
Sham Lal who gave full credit to BJP for supporting the Jammu cause right from inception said they fought against the discrimination with the region as well as for the rights of West Pak and PoJK refugees. He expressed the hope that people of Jammu will understand the reality and support BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi to fight against the decades old discrimination to which they were subjected to through the hands of Kashmir centric parties.
Lambasting the Kashmir centric leaders Sham said Kashmir is no political problem but it is result of “governance deficit”. “Some families want to have their hegemony to continue in the Kashmir to dominate the politics there so they are misleading the common masses of Valley”, he added.
Sham said that he will not compromise on principles as chair is not priority for him but people. The self esteemed people of Jammu should think over the anti Jammu role of these parties. Maintaining that he is a simple worker of BJP and work for the cause of nationalism, Sham said but a big blow for the Congress and other Kashmir centric parties is in offing and “you have to wait and watch”.
Sham while hitting out at Kashmir centric leadership said some people have challenged our self esteem and despite getting all support and funds from Union Government they are showing their dirty teeth now. They indulged into death and destruction for last 30 years. However, he hastened to say that all people of Kashmir are not with them and they too want peace but are being exploited and mislead by these forces.
He also took a jibe at the AICC president Rahul Gandhi saying, he is 48 now, no more a youth leader. He (Gandhi) must understand the definition of young/youth leader, Sham said.
The firebrand leader said that along with him four block presidents also resigned from the primary membership of the Congress and joined BJP while 200 delegates, associated with also entered into BJP’s fold.
Sham said that he was feeling suffocated in Congress as he was never allowed to raise voice for the betterment of Jammu region.
Earlier Sham Sharma was welcomed by the national vice president of the party, incharge J&K Avinash Rai Khanna and State president of BJP, Ravinder Raina.
Khanna, welcomed the Sham Sharma presenting him with party Patka and termed him as leader and capable person to do good work in a right atmosphere.
Raina said that BJP welcomes senior Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma from the core of heart.
He said that as Cabinet Minister and MLA for many years, Sham Sharma always raised his voice strongly for nation and Dogras.
His decision has made Jammu free from Congress, Ravinder Raina said and added that those who feel pride in saying Bharat Mata Ki Jai cannot breathe freely in Congress.
Congress, NC, PDP workers are Mujahideen, terrorists are Sahib, when they question Indian Army, no person can live in Congress, said the BJP State Chief.
BJP senior leaders and former Deputy CMs, Dr Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta besides former State president and Minister Sat Sharma and MLC Ramesh Arora were also present on the occasion.

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