Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a meeting of Schedule Tribe communities of the State at Party Headquarter here, today, where number of State and district office bearers of ST Morcha attended the meeting.
Ashok Koul, general secretary organization, while speaking on the occasion said that the ST communities including Gujjars, Bakerwal, Gaddi, Sippi and others will play important role in the coming Assembly elections. He said BJP is the only party in the country and State as well who work for the welfare of marginalized, downtrodden sections of the society.
He said those exploiting these communities for mere vote bank for the last six decades has never talked of their political reservation and other rights. He asked the leadership of the ST community to go in the field and appraise the problem of these communities with the concerned officers and said the leadership of BJP is committed for the same.
BJP State secretary and Prabhari ST Morcha, Er. Gulham Ali Khatana, while speaking in the meeting, said that Congress, National Conference and Kashmir based political parties has no interest for the development of these downtrodden communities. He demanded extension of all tribal welfare laws to the State, so that identity and culture of these communities can be protected. He further accused the present State Government for diversion of various tribal funds meant for the development of these ST communities and accused them for using it for other purposes. He said people across all section of the society are fed up with the policies and program of NC-Congress Government and added that BJP has created a ray of hope among the people of the State in general and ST communities in particular.
Other spokes on the occasion, Manzoor Hussain Badana, vice president ST Morcha, Puran Chand, , Haji Betab, general secretaries ST Morcha, Ch. Mustaq Ahmed. Ch. Shabir Ahmed and Mohd Rafiq, Secretaries ST Morcha, Abdul Rashid Taz, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohd. Yafeed Poonch, Satar Din, Nek Mohd, Bashir Ahmed Sarpanch, Bashir Ahmed Khatana, Rashid Pal, Raiz Ahmed, Mohd. Ali, Mohd. Zabar.