Shah tells BJP MLAS to raise aam aadmi issues
BJP chief takes pot shots at Congress
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday expressed concern over the prevailing situation across the Valley and asked legislators to reach out to the people of Kashmir and Ladakh regions to address their issues.
Amit Shah landed in the Jammu at 10.30 am on Saturday for a two day visit.
BJP MLA from Nowshera assembly constituency Ravinder Raina told reporters outside Jammu Convention Centre here that the situation came under discussion and suggestions were put forth by the party’s ministers and legislators.
“Party president asked ministers and legislators not to remain confined to their constituencies and move out to Kashmir and Ladakh regions to address issues of the people,” Raina said.
Raina, however, elaborated that the national president has set off on a 95-day “Vistaar Yatra” (tour) of various states from the temple city to expand BJP’S graph across the country and improve its tally in 2019 and 2024 general elections.
J&K in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna said Shah also discussed BJP’S expansion in the state. “He also expressed concern over prevailing unrest in Kashmir and said that Centre in tandem with coalition government has initiated steps to restore peace in the strife-torn Valley,” said another party leader.
BJP, despite focusing hard on Kashmir in 2014 assembly polls, had slotted 25 seats from Jammu region and none from Kashmir.
Shah, while addressing a gathering of intellectuals and prominent citizens in the evening, also fired salvos at the archrival Congress.
“BJP alone can work in country’s interests. I joined BJP as a member in 1982 without any political background and rose to the post of party president. Can anyone tell that who is going to be the next president of BJP after my tenure? In this jam-packed hall, can anyone tell who will become BJP’S president next? But in Congress, anyone can tell,” he said.
He added that in 1,650 parties in India, only BJP and the CPI have upheld internal democracy. “It (Congress) was a mass movement at the time of independence but it got limited to a family afterwards, and even other parties who got separated from Congress were due to its family politics,” he said.
Another BJP leader said that the BJP president also asked them reach out to all the stakeholders except separatists and secessionists and discuss ways and means to bring the situation in the Valley back to normal.
On April 30, the BJP president will meet leaders of different wings of the party at BJP’S Trikuta Nagar office.