Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 10: Senior National Conference leaders, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana and Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo on Wednesday resolved to foil the designs of anti-people elements out to weaken secular edifice and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, saying unity in diversity has been the strong point of the State.
“Safeguarding legitimate interests of the people is a commitment of National Conference and not expediency, as it is for political chameleons who keep shedding crocodile tears during the day and plot backstabbing during dead of night”, Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said while chairing a joint meeting of his party’s District Jammu Rural A &B and Urban wings at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this evening.
The meeting discussed in detail the developmental initiatives taken by the Government headed by Omar Abdullah in the district, placed on record its appreciation and urged for expediting the on-going projects. The meeting also discussed the issues to be taken up during the ensuing Board meeting being held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister in the winter capital.
Describing the tirade unleashed by People’s Democratic Party against National Conference as a sign of frustration, Mr Rana said that the stand of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir has unnerved the party, forcing its senior leaders to indulge in rhetoric and gimmicks.
Mr Rana said that the strong response of National Conference to the voices being raised by some right wing parties against unique status of Jammu and Kashmir has irked PDP to such an extent that it has started describing the concerns as ‘sloganeering’. He said his party does not believe in double speak and warned political opportunists to stop testing the patience of people by undermining their aspirations and hobnobbing with elements inimical to interests of the State for petty political gains.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kitchloo hit back at PDP on describing ‘ opening of Muzaffarabad Road’ as a slogan and said softening of borders and creating vistas of opportunities for trade, tour and travel between India and Pakistan was a vision of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah. The opening of Uri and Chakkan-da-Bagh roads in Poonch is just beginning and the end lies in throwing open more routes on Line of Control. He referred to the efforts being made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in this regard and said the problem with PDP is to take credit in everything.
“If at all they are fond of taking credit, they should do it for their wrong doings like impeding the growth of State as a single entity and trampling the mandate of people in 1984 and 1990”, Mr Kitchloo said, adding that these force will meet their destiny in 2014.
The two leaders exhorted National Conference workers to gear up for the big democratic exercise next year and exuded confidence that the party of masses will establish its premier credentials in a big way.
Those present in the meeting included Provincial Secretary Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, District Presidents Satpal Lakhotra, Taranjit Singh Tony and Rajesh Bakshi, senior party leaders Pt Govind Ram Sharma, Chander Mohan Sharma, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, Som Nath Khajuria, Dr Kamal Arora, Ramesh Motan, Rameshwar Dutt, Pardeep Bali, KD Singh, Vijay Lochan and others.
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