Excelsior Correspondent
Udhampur, Dec 29: Political Advisor to the Chief Minister Devender Singh Rana said that Panthers is the B team of PDP, adding they (Panthers) conspired alongwith the PDP to bring down the Ghulam Nabi Azad Government in 2008 by orchestrating the circumstances which led to the Amarnath land row and later when they felt the heat of the public outrage they jumped into communal bandwagon and worked overtime to flair up communal passions, thereby proving their credentials of opportunistic power hungry politics.
Rana, who was addressing a largely attended public meeting here today said that Panthers voted for the PDP candidates Altaf Bukhari in Rajya Sabha elections and Bharat Gupta in MLC elections exposing their real face which has always given edge to material personal considerations over the welfare of the people of the State.
He said in the coming March Legislative Council elections also they (Panthers) will again Tom Tom before the PDP and will vote in their favour, sacrificing all the ideological politics they so loudly proclaim and boast of. He said Panthers change colours like chameleons for personal gains.
He said democracy has empowered the people of the country to exercise their franchise and elect their leaders who in turn are there to serve the cause of the people because the democracy makes the people masters of the destiny of the elected representatives and as such people must join hands together and raise their voice for justice and National Conference will support any and every voice that yearns for justice. He said those who are unleashing a reign of terror will not be allowed to bully the people and urged the people to give them a befitting reply in 2014 polls.
Rana said National Conference has always stood for the justice to the common man and will continue to fight for the same without any consideration for caste, creed, religion or ethnicity. “We will fight all the forces like Panthers, PDP and the BJP who indulge in divisive politics for their petty political gains sacrificing the interest of the state and its people at the alter of personal vested interests”, he added.
He said Udhampur is ‘Devak Nagri’ which has produced stalwarts like Moti Lal Baigda, Lala Shiv Charan Gupta, Balak Ram and Pt. Chuni Lal Khajuria but over a period of time deterioration has started and a new bread of politicians has emerged who have put self above service and time has come to make political corrections.
Welcoming the new entrant Parlad Singh, former Vice-President Municipal Council, Udhampur and his hundreds of supporters into the party fold who joined National Conference after resigning from the Panthers Party, Rana said National Conference is a cadre based party based on principled politics and anybody who joins the party has to adhere to its principles in letter and spirit and conduct himself/herself within the framework and discipline of the party and hoped that Parlad will work tirelessly to strengthen the party in the district.
Political Advisor said Omar Abdullah has a vision of equitable development of all regions and sub-regions of the state and National Conference will fight for the same.
Addressing the gathering Rattan Lal Gupta Provincial President National Conference said that National Conference is an epitome of brotherhood, secularism and communal harmony among the people of the state and will not allow any divisive forces to create disharmony or disturb the secular fabric of the State.
Those who were present in the meeting included Ch Mohammad Shafi, Advocate, Rajesh Gupta, Advocate, Kair Singh, Subash Kudyar, Vijay Khajuria, Bharat Bhushan Advocate, Sunil Verma, Lal Chand Musafir, Capt. Balbir, Om Parkash, Raj Kapoor, Sajjad Shaheen, Madhi Verma, Govind, Ramparshotam, Gian Singh, Ch. Iqbal and others.