Jammu: J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to take part in the scheduled all party meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, saying “we all must unite in the interest of the nation and work for ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'”.
Raina also thanked the Prime Minister for convening the meeting and said he had always shown his big heart for Jammu and Kashmir by addressing developmental issues and providing justice to the deprived communities.
“Prime Minister has convened a meeting of J&K parties on June 24 and it is a proud moment for all of us. We will utilize this opportunity to raise the issues of public interest and talk about strengthening the nation to keep its flag flying high,” Raina told reporters after an emergency meeting of the party here.
He said the Centre has extended the invitation to J&K parties with an open mind and heart and it is now the responsibility of the invitees to reciprocate and join the meeting.
Asked about his reaction to the decision of the PAGD to take part in the meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said “it is very good that all political parties are taking part in the meeting. We have already announced that I along with my colleagues are joining the meeting.
“It is a very important meeting and when the Prime Minister is on the chair it has its own sanctity. All issues of public interest will be discussed,” he said, adding “we will need to join hands to speak in one voice for our nation and the tricolor. We should strengthen the pledge of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.”
Meanwhile, in a veiled attack on the PAGD Raina said those promising to bring back Article 370 are playing emotive politics.
He said that Article 370, which gave special status to J&K, was abrogated on August 05, 2019 and has now become a part of history.
“No one can restore Article 370 and political parties making false promises of bringing it back are playing emotional politics,” the BJP leader said in a statement after an emergency meeting of the party here.
Without naming Mehbooba or the PAGD, Raina took a dig at regional parties for “misleading” people in the name of Article 370 and said his party would always oppose “tooth and nail” any move to restore it.
