Visits Tirupati Balaji temple at Majeen
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah commenced his two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir today by paying tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder and BJP ideologue Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his death anniversary.
Soon after his arrival in the city, Shah drove to the BJP headquarters at Trikuta Nagar and joined party leaders, including Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and J-K unit president Ravinder Raina, to pay homage to Mukherjee.
Mukherjee, who strongly opposed the now-scrapped Article 370 that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, died under mysterious circumstances on this day in 1953, shortly after his arrest in Jammu and Kashmir following his agitation for “Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahi chalenge” (A single country cannot have two constitutions, two Prime Ministers, and two national emblems).
Shah garlanded the statue of the Jana Sangh founder installed at the BJP headquarters amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Ji Amar Rahe”.
Singh and Raina along with other leaders also offered floral tribute to Mukherjee.
Shah also paid obeisance at the newly constructed Tirupati Balaji temple in Majeen area on the outskirts of the City here.
After addressing a public rally in the Bhagwati Nagar area of the city, Shah headed for the Tirupati Balaji temple, built in the lower Shivalik range on the outskirts of the city.
Accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Home Minister offered prayers to Lord Venkateshwara, while the priests chanted shlokas. Shah and Sinha also partook in the prasadam offered at the temple.
The Home Minister expressed his happiness about visiting the Balaji temple during his stay.
The temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy was inaugurated by Sinha, Union Ministers Dr Jitendra Singh and G Kishen Reddy on June 8.
Initially, Shah was scheduled to virtually inaugurate the temple but could not take part in the event due to some indispensable work, Sinha had said during the inauguration event.
While he was at the party office in Trikuta Nagar today, Shah held discussions with BJP leaders to gather feedback on the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP UT president Ravinder Raina briefed Shah in detail about political situation and the BJP’s preparedness for elections whenever they are held in Jammu and Kashmir.
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