Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 27: Glowing tributes were paid to former Finance Minister and veteran Congress leader Girdhari Lal Dogra by leaders of various political parties and social organizations at a programme organized here today in connection with observance of his 28th death anniversary organized by Girdhari Lal Dogra Memorial Trust.
The prominent among them included Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, former Chief Minister and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Speaker State Assembly Kavinder Gupta, Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Parkash Ganga, MoS Education and Culture Priya Sethi, MLAs Sat Sharma (CA), Rajiv Jasrotia, Kuldeep Kumar, senior BJP leader and MLC Ashok Khajuria, senior Congress leader Dharam Paul Sharma and BJP leader Aseem Gupta.
Deputy CM Dr. Nirmal Singh, while paying tributes to late leader, termed Girdhari Lal Dogra as a leader of masses. Terming him a great democrat, he said Dogra rose from the ground to highest positions in the political arena of the State.
“The respect and love which Girdhari Lal Dogra had earned in public could be judged from the fact that during his entire political career, he did not lose a single election”, said Dr. Nirmal Singh adding that Dogra was a multi facet personality, whose role in State’s integration was splendid.
The DyCM, on this occasion, said that the real tribute to Dogra ji would be to rise above party politics and work for the welfare, development and strengthening the nationalist forces in the State.
Former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah, in his address, said that Girdhari Lal Dogra was an institution in himself, who worked till his last breathe to ensure that whoever knocks at his door, gets justice.
“Such people are rare, who keep aside politics and treat everyone equal, irrespective of his or her region, religion or affiliations” Dr Abdullah added.
He said we should take inspiration from the lives of such leaders to strengthen the secular fabric and defeat all such forces who poses threat to co-existence.
He said Dogra was a mass based leader who struggled hard for the development of the State. He treated people of all three regions alike.
Congress senior leader Dharampal Sharma said that Girdhari Lal Dogra commanded respect in all the regions of the State by his principle of equality and pain for the sufferers. He said that although Dogra ji was associated with Congress but it never became hurdle in his way of service to the people.
Two minutes silence was also observed in memory of Dogra ji. Earlier all the leaders garlanded the statue of Mr Dogra.
Proceedings of the programme were conducted by Nidhi Sharma, the younger daughter of Girdhari Lal Dogra.
Vote of thanks was presented by Dr. Vinod Dogra, Trustee, Girdhari Lal Dogra Memorial Trust.
The family members of Dogra Ji including Om Prakash Dogra, Madan Dogra, also paid their tributes.
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