Jammu, Oct 17: A week after switching over to the BJP from the National Conference, former legislators Devender Singh Rana and Surjit Singh Slathia were on Sunday accorded a warm welcome by saffron party leaders at its headquarters here. J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, J&K BJP co-incharge Ashish Sood and other senior party leaders welcomed them in the party fold.
Rana, younger-brother of union minister Jitendra Singh, had taken over the post of provincial president of National Conference in 2011 after relinquishing his office as political advisor to the then chief minister Omar Abdullah. He along with senior party colleague and former minister S S Slathia joined the BJP in Delhi last Monday.
Terming them experienced and seasoned politicians, Raina said only the BJP is capable of doing justice to all the earlier neglected areas and sections and this is the reason the leaders of such stature are attracted to the BJP in order to serve the people in a better way.
He said BJP leaders and workers have sacrificed their lives in the struggle for ‘Ek Vidhaan, Ek Nishaan, Ek Pradhaan’ (one constitution, one flag, one leader) which was achieved on August 5, 2019 by the revocation of the special status of J&K. ”The BJP led by Narendra Modi removed the wall of hatred by revoking articles 370 and 35(a) that prevented the J&K and particularly Jammu region from deserved development,” he said.
Welcoming both leaders into the party fold, Sood said the BJP believes in serving society and nation while taking all along those who are like-minded. ”It is really a proud moment that today more mass leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have joined the ranks of BJP to work dedicatedly with a vision for the wholesome development of J&K,” he said.
He said both the leaders would do justice with the aspirations of masses keeping the party principles in their minds.
Rana said when he was in the National Conference, he was ignored when he spoke for the cause of Jammu and now he has joined the BJP to raise the voice for his own people at the right platform.
Slathia said he would work like a soldier in the party. (Agencies)
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