Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 24: Remembering, Sher-e-Duggar, Pt. Prem Nath Dogra, on the auspicious occasion of his 135th birth anniversary, BJP State president, Ravinder Raina, along with other senior leaders performed havan and garlanded his statue besides paying rich tributes to this great nationalist leader in a programme organized at Pt. Prem Nath Dogra Chowk, here, today.
Ravinder Raina, while remembering Pt. Prem Nath Dogra, said that this great Dogra leader was a man of principles and a vision which encouraged the nationalist people across the State to stand united for the complete integration of the State with rest of country.
He said that the historic Ek Vidhaan-Ek Pradhan-Ek Nishaan agitation of Praja Parishad under the able stewardship of Pt. Prem Nath Dogra gave a new direction to the movement as a result of which the separate post of Prime Minister was abolished and now due to the dedicated leadership of BJP under Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the mission has completed with the abrogation of Articles 370 & 35(A) thus finishing with the separate flag and separate Constitution.
Raina, said in 1947 India got freedom but unfortunately Jammu and Kashmir became a slave due to the pro-Sheikh approach of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, who used his influence to get incorporated Article 370 in the Indian Constitution despite strong opposition from senior leaders of those days. He said that this special status has only harmed the State much in the past instead of serving any purpose. He appealed the party activists to spread the message of Pandit Ji and mobilise their opinion to join hands with BJP.
Ashok Kaul, enlightened the gathering on the important aspects of life of Pt. Prem Ji and said that he embraced all sections of society with core of his heart that is why he was elected president of numerous strong social organizations. He, while remembering the services of Pandit Ji for the society and the nation, said that born on October’ 24, 1884, Pandit Ji dedicated his whole life for the masses. He said that Pandit ji always worked for uplifting the socio-economic status of downtrodden.
Jugal Kishore Sharma, described Pt. Prem Nath Dogra as a far sighted and visionary leader, who in the context of prevailing circumstance in those days, started politics of strengthening nationalism and patriotism in State and founded Praja Parishad, which stood and fought for total integration of the State with rest of the country.
Prominent sports personalities from the region were also felicitated on the occasion by the senior leaders of the party led by Ravinder Raina as it was emphasized earlier that Pandit Ji was himself a great player who inspired others to take up the active sports in life as well as to incorporate the spirit of sportsmanship within their day to day working.
RSS Prant Sanghchalak Brig. Suchet Singh, Speaker & former Dy. CM Dr. Nirmal Singh, former Dy. CM Kavinder Gupta, former Minister Sat Sharma, former MLC Ashok Khajuria, Mayor JMC Chander Mohan Gupta, Dy. Mayor Purnima Sharma, State vice-president, Parmodh Kapahi, State general secretary, Yudhvir Sethi, former Minister, Priya Sethi, Adv. Chander Mohan Sharma, former MLA, Rajesh Gupta, Arvind Gupta, Praduman Singh, Veenu Khanna, Munish Sharma, S. Varinderjit Singh, Naresh Dogra, Baldev Singh Billawaria, Ayodhya Gupta, Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, Rajni Sethi, Bawa Sharma, Prem Gupta, Girdhari Lal Raina, Sanjita Dogra, Jeet Angral, Surinder Choudhary, Sunil Dogra, Gurcharan Singh, Balwan Singh, Govind Sareen, Puneet Mahajan, Sanjeev Sharma, Munish Khajuria, Adv. Rajesh Gupta, Nidhi Magotra and others took part in the havan and garlanded the statue of Panditji.