2 former NC MLAs among dozen join BJP
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 31: Strongly criticising National Conference (NC) chief, Dr Farooq Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti for spilling venom, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary, incharge J&K and Ladakh UTs, Tarun Chug today said they were misleading the people with their provocative statements.
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Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by BJP at its headquarters, Trikuta Nagar here in connection with joining of some prominent leaders from NC, PDP and Apni Party into BJP, Chug said that with the annulling of controversial Articles 370 and 35 A, the UT was limping to peace fast but some people are not digesting it and hence they indulge in misleading propaganda to hoodwink the public opinion.
The BJP leader, while turning tables on NC and PDP leaders said that when the Government announced that action will be taken against those who shouted pro-Pakistani slogans after the recent victory of Pakistan in T -20 match against India they opposed the decision and termed the students indulging in slogan shouting as innocents. “They suspect the Government action and thus are misleading the public opinion”, he added.
He said the BJP Government led by Narendra Modi is working hard for the development of two UTs, restoration of peace and welfare of the people by weeding out militants from the soil of J&K but the leaders of PDP and NC continue to mislead the masses with their provocative statements which will not be tolerated now.
“Instead of giving the account to the masses of J&K about the tonnes of money brought by their Governments from Centre during last seven decades and where this money was spent, they continue to hoodwink the people by their statements to divert the attention from real issues”, Chug said.
“The injustice which was going on for decades ended when the BJP Government annulled the discriminatory Article 370 in August 2019 and bestowed Jammu and Kashmir with real freedom,” Chugh said.
He said the gates of BJP are open for all those who want to serve the people and strive hard to strengthen the nationalist forces and the country.
He said for the 70 years some sections of people like Gujjars, women, refugees and Valmikis faced discrimination through the hands of successive Governments but after the annulling of Article 370, the Prime Minister has assured deliverance of justice to every community. “Our Government has taken every possible step to ensure development of every community and every region”, he added.
Nearly a dozen prominent political workers, including two former National Conference legislators, joined the BJP on the occasion, with UT president of the party, Ravinder Raina exuding confidence of forming the next Government on its own in the J&K.
Chugh and Raina welcomed the new entrants, along with hundreds of their supporters, into the party fold in presence of senior leaders, including Devender Singh Rana and S S Slathia, who recently joined the Saffron party.
Rana, who was the provincial president of the National Conference, along with senior party colleague and former Minister, Slathia had quit his party on October 10 and both of them joined the BJP in Delhi next day.
Majority of those who joined the BJP, including both the former legislators Prem Sagar Aziz and Kamal Arora, are considered close to Rana.
Aziz, former Deputy Mayor, Dharamvir Singh Jamwal, provincial secretary, Choudhary Arshid, Samba district president Mohinder Gupta, Corporator, Ashok Manhas and senior workers Som Nath Khajuria and Sardar Succha Singh recently resigned from the NC in Rana’s support.
Arora, who had won Assembly elections on the National Conference ticket in the 2014 polls, had joined Apni Party in March last year. He along with district president of Apni Party, Rinku Bhardwaj joined the BJP.
Accompanied by their supporters wearing different types of turbans representing different cultures, including the Dogras, Sikhs, Gujjars and Bakarwals, the leaders were welcomed by massive sloganeering at the BJP headquarters, Trikuta Nagar where the joining function was organised.
“The new entrants – whether from the National Conference, Congress or the PDP – are welcome with open heart and they will be given due respect and rightful position without any discrimination”, said Tarun Chug while addressing the function later.
The J&K BJP chief, in his address, said his party is growing bigger with each passing day as people from all walks of life repose faith in Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s slogan of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Vishwas’.
“The BJP is going to form the next Government after the Assembly elections on its own and the Chief Minister will be from our party,” he said, expressing satisfaction over the joining of prominent leaders from different parties.
Former legislator Rana said, “We are all making efforts to strengthen J&K so that we all be part of India’s development and progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”
“We are making attempts to strengthen Jammu, J&K and India. Our endeavour is that a common voice from Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians emerge from Jammu which will work to strengthen the whole Jammu and Kashmir and we all can be part of the development phase initiated by the Prime Minister in the country,” he said.
Reacting to the letter of the PDP president seeking the Prime Minister’s intervention to save the future of some Kashmiri students who were arrested for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in a cricket match, Rana said no anti-national activities will be tolerated.
“Anti-national activities cannot be tolerated by any country and so why India should tolerate such an act? If you are Indian, you have to respect and honour the country,” he said, adding that “India is a strong democracy but that does not mean we will tolerate anti-national activities”.
He said nobody should support anti-national elements.
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