Jammu: BJP leader and former MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana on Sunday stated that all the political leaders of Jammu would have to get united to make Jammu the voice of J&K.
He was delivering his maiden address at the BJP party office where he, along with former minister Surjit Singh Slathia, was accorded a warm welcome by the J&K party leaders. This was the maiden visit of the duo to the party office after they formally joined BJP on October 11 in New Delhi.
J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, J&K BJP co-incharge Ashish Sood besides other senior party leaders welcomed them in the party headquarters.
While addressing the gathering, Rana said BJP leaders and workers sacrificed their lives in the struggle for ‘Ek Vidhaan, Ek Nishaan, Ek Pradhaan’ which was achieved on August 5, 2019 by the revocation of the special status of J&K. “This removed the wall of hatred that prevented the J&K and particularly Jammu region from deserved development,” he said.
“I used to raise the voice of Jammu even when I was in the National Conference. But that would happen on the party platform. I have never brought the internal discussions of the party into the open. That discipline is ingrained in my nature. However, I always spoke for the cause of Jammu. Now when we have joined the BJP, we will work like a disciplined soldier of the party here too,” he added.
Describing the J&K BJP leaders present on the occasion as “experienced and seasoned politicians”, Raina said only the party was capable of doing justice to all the earlier neglected areas and sections.
Later speaking to media persons, Rana stated that Pakistan was behind the selected killings in Kashmir. “It was aimed at disrupting the peace and spoiling the brotherhood in J&K,” he averred. “But India as a strong nation, under the determined leadership of the Prime minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah would defeat all these inimical elements,” he said.
Welcoming both leaders into the party fold, Sood said the BJP believed 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.