Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 14: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress of consistently insulting and humiliating the Dogra community, dating back to the era of Maharaja Hari Singh.
In a handout issued today, Brigadier Anil Gupta, BJP spokesperson, alleged that former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru harbored animosity towards Maharaja Hari Singh and demonstrated unwavering support for Sheikh Abdullah, who ultimately launched the Quit Kashmir Movement against Dogra rule.
Brigadier Gupta highlighted historical incidents that, according to him, reflect Congress’s disregard for the Dogras. He stated that the biggest humiliation occurred in 1948 when the Nehru-led Congress Government declared a unilateral ceasefire while the Indian Army was advancing against the retreating Pakistani forces. As a result, more than one-third of Jammu and Kashmir’s territory was, in his words, “handed over to Pakistan on a platter.”
He also criticized Congress for remaining passive when Pakistan ceded the Saksham Valley to China and further exacerbating the situation by returning Pakistani Prisoners of War in 1971 without negotiating for the return of Pakistan-occupied J&K (PoJK). He went on to allege that Congress even allowed the Chenab region to slip into Pakistan’s control.
Brigadier Gupta further claimed that Pandit Nehru made the “biggest insult” to Dogras by branding them “communal and anti-national” during the Praja Parishad Movement, which opposed the secessionist policies of Sheikh Abdullah’s Government. According to him, Nehru provided full support to Sheikh Abdullah to suppress the movement and later forced Maharaja Hari Singh into exile in Mumbai, thereby allowing Sheikh Abdullah to consolidate control over J&K without consideration for Dogra sentiments.
“For Congress, Dogras don’t matter as long as the Kashmiri Muslim leadership remains satisfied. Jammu and the Dogras have always been taken for granted by Congress,” Brigadier Gupta lamented in his statement.
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