J&K got major importance after Modi Govt: Dr Jitendra
Chugh targets NC, Raina sets ‘Mission 50 Plus’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 11: In a big show at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, prominent National Conference leaders Devender Singh Rana and Surjit Singh Slathia, who had resigned from the party yesterday, today joined the BJP in presence of three Union Ministers, top brass of the party from Jammu and Kashmir, Incharge UT Affairs and later met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda and party general secretary (Organizations) BL Santosh.
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Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Housing & Urban Development and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, BJP national general secretary Incharge J&K Tarun Chugh, Co-Incharge Ashish Soodh, UT chief Ravinder Raina, Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha member Jugal Kishore Sharma and former Deputy Chief Ministers–Kavinder Gupta and Dr Nirmal Singh were present at the BJP headquarters when Rana and Slathia joined the BJP by taking membership of the party.
Speaking on the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally connected to Jammu and Kashmir and many developmental works have been executed in the Union Territory post abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.
“Prosperity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir has been priority of the BJP,” he said while welcoming Rana and Slathia into the BJP fold.
Union Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also Lok Sabha member from Udhampur-Doda constituency and elder brother of Devender Singh Rana, said two leaders have joined family of the BJP.
“During last 7-8 years, the Prime Minister has given very importance to Jammu and Kashmir especially the States and areas which were left undeveloped–be they in North East or Jammu and Kashmir. The very first Diwali after becoming the Prime Minister was spent by Modi in Kashmir valley with the flood-hit people on October 26, 2014. In the New India Development Yatra, Jammu and Kashmir has been getting very importance,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
He added that prior to outbreak of COVID pandemic, the Prime Minister has been visiting Jammu and Kashmir after every 2-3 months and he made it a point to visit all three regions including Jammu, Srinagar and Leh.
“A new direction was given to Jammu and Kashmir by the Government on August 5, 2019 by making it an integral part of development yatra,” Dr Jitendra Singh said, adding he feels proud to be part of the world’s largest party and it is good that two more leaders have decided to become part of it for balanced development of J&K and spread the Prime Minister’s massage of `Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Paryaas’ and make J&K peace and prosperous.
BJP national general secretary Incharge J&K Affairs Tarun Chugh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development policies are scripting a new chapter in J&K following which parties like National Conference are on verge of collapse.
Welcoming Rana and Slathia into the party-fold, he said a new chapter has begun in J&K and people have started realizing how they were cheated and defrauded by regional parties like the NC.
“People in J&K were deprived of progress and development because of frauds played on them by parties like the NC. J&K has entered a new era and many political leaders will be joining hands with the Prime Minister,” Chugh said.
BJP UT chief Ravinder Raina, in his address, declared that the BJP has launched “Mission 50 plus” in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed confidence that they will succeed in it to form next Government in the UT.
“Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the Delimitation Commission submits its report. The BJP will come to power with big majority. We have set a target of winning 50 plus seats in the House of 90 to form our majority Government and install the BJP Chief Minister for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir,” Raina declared.
“To achieve the target, all of us will work unitedly,” the BJP J&K chief said.
Addressing, Devender Singh Rana referred to his Jammu Declaration saying this is for Jammu, by Jammu and entire Jammu and Kashmir and that he has spoken to all political parties about it and sought their contribution.
“Political narrative should be of Jammu. The people of Jammu have aspirations as they have been ill-treated. Jammu Declaration will give voice to Jammu and strengthen Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He said he shared the Jammu Declaration with political parties, Civil Society, Intellectuals etc. There was encouraging response to it though there was some opposition and within the organization also there were certain differences. However, he declared, the time has now come when Jammu should have political narrative as the State of Jammu and Kashmir was carved out by Maharaja Ghulab Singh and Gen Zorawar Singh extended its boundaries right up to Tibet.
He added that Jammu Declaration will also defeat the Dixon Plan perpetrated by some organizations.
“We are joining the BJP keeping in mind that the party will help us take forward Jammu and its cause,” Rana said.
“Dogras of Jammu should have their own narrative for Jammu and Kashmir and this narrative shall help us to defeat the Dixon plan,” Rana said.
Surjit Singh Slathia said he will try his best to get issues of Jammu and Kashmir addressed.
He said they have talked to different political parties and organizations on Jammu Declaration.
Later, Rana and Slathia accompanied by senior BJP leaders met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda separately. They had breakfast meeting with BJP general secretary (organizations) B L Santosh.
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