Jammu / Rajouri, Sep 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Jammu and Kashmir on October 1 and 2, and during his two-day visit is likely to announce reservations for the Pahari-speaking community, BJP sources said Friday.
According to the party sources, Shah would address a public rally in Rajouri on October 1 in the Jammu division and in the Kupwara district of Kashmir division on October 2.
“He will announce reservations for the Pahari-speaking community whose large population lives in Poonch and also co-chair top-level security meetings with Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
Meanwhile, the BJP cadre in Rajouri district is preparing for the October 1 rally.
The BJP leaders in Rajouri said that Shah would address the party rally in Rajouri but the venue was yet to be decided.
“There is a possibility of the participation of a large number of people in the rally. So the venue is yet to be decided,” officials of the administration said. “Two to three venues in Rajouri town are under consideration.”
BJP District President Rajouri, Rajinder Gupta said that the participation of Shah in the rally was confirmed and they were expecting a large gathering.
He said that this would be the first major rally in Rajouri after the 2014 rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gupta said that the party cadre had geared up for the rally and a mass public contact programme was going on across the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch as people from both districts were going to participate.
Meanwhile, people from the Pahari community in the twin districts have pinned high hopes on the rally.
“We are sure that the Home Minister is coming to announce the Scheduled Tribe status to Paharis which is our three-decade demand,” said Subash Chander, a Pahari leader of Rajouri.