Says BJP transformed valley after Article 370’s abrogation, cited development and youth achievements, and expressed confidence about the party’s electoral prospects
Jammu, July 6: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had fulfilled the vision of Jana Sangh founder Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee for Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 and ensuring the implementation of “one Constitution, one flag and one head” across the country.
Addressing a function organised in Jammu to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Mookerjee, Nabin said the occasion represented the BJP’s commitment to the late leader’s ideals of national unity and integrity.
Paying tributes to Mookerjee along with Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and other senior leaders, Nabin said Mookerjee had devoted his life to strengthening the unity of the country and that his vision for Jammu and Kashmir had finally been realised after decades of struggle by BJP workers.
He said the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Modi had accomplished what Mookerjee had envisioned by ending the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and integrating the region fully with the rest of the country.
Referring to political developments before 2014, Nabin alleged that previous governments had created an atmosphere in which hoisting the national flag in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk was viewed as a challenge to peace. He said the situation had changed under the Modi government and the Tricolour now flew there without fear.
Highlighting what he described as changes in Jammu and Kashmir over the past decade, the BJP chief said the region’s youth were now making their mark in sports and other fields. He said young people who were once associated with unrest were today earning recognition through achievements such as victories in domestic cricket tournaments.
Nabin also credited the Modi government with accelerating development in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, saying the move had brought “real freedom” and opened new opportunities for the people.
He further claimed that the Centre’s welfare measures had helped millions of people across the country rise above poverty and said Jammu and Kashmir was also progressing on the path of development.
Calling upon young people to draw inspiration from Mookerjee’s life, Nabin urged them to contribute towards the development of Jammu and Kashmir and work for the unity and progress of the nation.
Later, the BJP national president chaired a meeting of party office-bearers at the party’s Jammu headquarters to review organisational matters.(KNS)
