Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 28: Terming the signatories of Gupkar Declaration as rejected politicians, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary, incharge UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Ram Madhav today asked its party men to counter the propaganda of these parties with full might and take the BJP message and programmes and policies of Narendra Modi Government to every nook and corner of J&K.
Addressing a meeting of senior party functionaries, district presidents at Srinagar during the second day of his two days hectic tour to Valley, Madhav stressed on immediate holding of elections for the remaining seats of Sarpanches in J&K which should be followed by the BDC elections.
He asked his partymen not to get disheartened and work with full dedication and zeal as the parties who signed the Gupkar Declaration have been deserted by many of their senior leaders and they have formed the new party for initiation of a political process in the State and holding the elections under the new scenario created after the annulling of controversial Articles 370 and 35 (a) of the Indian Constitution.
Madhav said Gupkar declaration is nothing except a drama of rejected politicians and without naming J&K Apni Party and other groups, he said many forces are aligning in Kashmir to challenge them and contest elections under the changed political scenario in the UT.
He asked the party men not be afraid of the Gupkar Declaration but go to the people and work with more vigour and zest to strengthen the party at booth and Mandal levels. He said no power on earth can reverse the decision on annulling of 370 and maintained that the needles of clock can’t move backwards.
He said BJP stands for holding of political process in J&K and installation of an elected Government as per the aspirations of the people. He said holding of elections is the commitment of Modi Government and in this regard the Delimitation Commission has been established and after it completes the process, Assembly elections will be held.
Madhav said the people in Kashmir have fully endorsed the Modi Government’s decision of August 5 and October 31 last year and there was no protest anywhere in Kashmir against the same. Even the people rejected the Black Day call given by some parties on August 5, the first anniversary of the abrogation of 370 and 35 A which means that there are no takers of the parties signatories to Gupkar Declaration in Kashmir.
Allaying fears of party men on account of security threat, Madhav assured them that every step will be taken to ensure proper security to the partymen as well as elected Sarpanches. He said the party leaders will be accommodated in security zones at district head quarters and tehsil headquarters.
Madhav during his visit today is believed to have met the leaders of Apni Party, some former legislators, representatives of business community and prominent citizens and discussed the current situation in the UT with them.
During the meeting BJP general secretary (Org) Ashok Kaul gave the briefing about the prevailing situation and the security scenario especially in Kashmir in the wake of recent attacks on Party leaders in Valley. He also stressed that addressing the security concern of the partymen should be given the priority by the Government.
The meeting was also addressed by party general secretaries Sunil Sharma and Vibodh Gupta.
Earlier addressing the meeting party senior vice president, Sofi Yousf took a dig at the signatories of Gupkar Declaration and termed them a team of “rejected forces”. He said this Declaration is a drama of the disgruntled politicians who exploited the people of Kashmir for seven decades for their vested interests on the name of special status.
He said the people of Kashmir have rejected the special status lock, stock and barrel and they want to be the part of Narendra Modi’s development formula so that the Kashmiris don’t lag behind the other parts of the country in development and progress.
Sofi said as the leaders of NC, Congress and PDP have nothing to offer to the people as they have lost their political base so they took refuge under Gupkar Declaration playing another drama of misleading people.
He said there are no takers for these parties in Kashmir now and this can be gauged from the fact that during the last one year after the abrogation of Special status of Kashmir there was no violence anywhere and no incident of stone pelting took place.
These parties are only befooling the people otherwise had they been so sincere the NC has three MPs in Lok Sabha and PDP two in RS but not a single of them resigned from the post, he added.
Sofi however, stressed that proper security be given to the party leaders in Kashmir. He said the dedicated leaders and workers of party in Kashmir celebrated August 5 with full charm by hoisting National Flag. He said that the party leaders be given freedom to move every where in Valley under security to take the policies and programmes of Modi Government from door to door.
Party spokesman Altaf Thakur, senior party leader Dr Ali Mohammed Mir and district presidents of all 10 districts of Kashmir were present in the meeting.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
