Appealing the people to strengthen and support Panthers Party, Mr.Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and former Minister today said that it was high time that Dogras identified and acknowledged the services of those who were actually championing the cause of Jammu. He said that NPP had vociferously projected the concerns of Jammu region and fought for safeguarding its interests at all possible forums to the entire satisfaction of its people. It was time to support and strengthen the party for the ultimate empowerment of the people of the Dogra land, asserted Singh. He said that neither the national parties nor the Kashmir based parties were the solution for the ills afflicting Jammu region.
A regional party alone could meet the aspirations of Jammu and address the local issues of the public, he claimed adding that people were increasingly reposing their faith in Panthers Party and its leadership. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today alongwith Mr.Balwant Singh Mankotia, State President and Mr.Yash Paul Kundal, General Secretary while inducting several leaders of NC, BJP and of other youth organizations in the Panthers Party alongwith their hundreds of supporters. Prominent among those who joined the Panthers Party today included Swaran Singh, Vice President–NC, District Udhampur; Rajni Jamwal, President–Contractual Lecturers Association; Vikas Gargotra, President–Khidmat Centres, Jammu Province; Ram Kumar Sharma, Ex-Mandal Pradhan–BJP, Vijaypur; Jeevan Kumar, General Secretary–Contractual Lecturers Association; Majid Khan, Secretary–NC, District Udhampur. More than 600 people joined NPP today.
Accusing the BJP of having betrayed the collective sentiment of Dogras, Mr. Singh said that NPP was all prepared to provide a viable alter-native to the people of Jammu region. Those who failed to honour their promise of holiday on 23rd September, birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh or even rake up the issue in cabinet meeting while in power, could no longer be trusted by the people, said Singh. They had lost the right to represent the Dogras when they failed to get Rasana case probed through CBI and rather joined the chorus with their Kashmir masters describing the agitating Dogras as ‘rapists supporters’. Not only that they succumbed before the separatists and Kashmir centric forces by refusing Dogra Certificate to Jammu Dogras despite the issue forming a part of their election manifesto, said Harsh. While the lion’s share in employment went the Kashmir way during their rule, the BJP leaders were often seen flaunting a consolation prize in the form of negligible share in services for Jammu youth, rued Mr.Singh.
And not only did they surrender the rights and interests of Jammu region but also compromised over the issues of security despite their Jingoistic bullies and ‘zero tolerance’ slogans while in opposition, remarked Singh. He said that release of around 11,000 stone-pelters and declaration of unilateral ceasefire leading to escalation of violence in valley were some of the questions that had offended the nationalist forces and for which the BJP will have to account for in the days to come.
Mr.Balwant Singh Mankotia and Mr.Yash Paul Kundal said that with peoples’ distrust having exacerbated in BJP and its state leadership in particular, the people were eagerly awaiting to give it a befitting reply in the coming days. They said that Panthers Party had launched an unrelenting crusade against the policies of suppression and oppression being pursued by successive govts against Jammu and it alone could represent the aspirations of this hitherto deprived and incarcerated Dogra land.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Gagan Pratap Singh, Parshotam Parihar, Surinder Chouhan, Rashpaul Singh, Gurdeep Singh Raju besides others.