Jammu- BJP president Nitin Nabin on Tuesday said Jammu and Kashmir had undergone a transformative change since the abrogation of Article 370 and was now identified with development, peace and its rich cultural heritage rather than conflict.
Nabin, who cut short his maiden two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir due to official commitments, said the BJP would continue to discharge its responsibilities both as a political organisation and the principal opposition in the Union Territory by consistently raising issues concerning the people.
“After considerable effort and struggle, we succeeded in freeing Jammu and Kashmir from Article 370, which has become a major catalyst for change in the lives of the people here,” Nabin told reporters in Jammu.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was projected before the world in a “very different light” until a few years ago but had witnessed a change following decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Today, Jammu and Kashmir is seen as an integral part of India and as a region moving on the path of development, identified with peace and its rich cultural heritage,” he said.
Nabin said the Modi government had been consistently working to revive the region’s heritage and culture and present it before the world.
He said the youth and women of Jammu and Kashmir, who were earlier “viewed through a different lens”, were now carving out their own identities and achieving success through hard work and determination.
The BJP chief said the Centre’s efforts to strengthen tourism had begun to positively impact the lives of people, while opportunities extended to women had instilled a sense of dignity and self-confidence among different sections of society.
Nabin said the BJP had an important role to play in Jammu and Kashmir, both as the principal opposition in the Union Territory and through the party-led government at the Centre.
“In both capacities, we are committed to strengthening the people of Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring their development, and preserving and promoting the region’s rich culture and heritage,” he said.
“As the opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, our legislators and party workers will remain vigilant and continue to raise issues concerning the people,” Nabin added.
The BJP president, who arrived in Jammu on Monday afternoon on his first visit to the Union Territory after assuming the party’s top post, cut short his scheduled two-day tour and returned to New Delhi on Tuesday.
He skipped a scheduled pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district and a youth convention due to a change in his programme.
J&K BJP MLA and spokesperson R S Pathania said Nabin returned to Delhi owing to official commitments. The party did not give an official reason for the schedule change, though party insiders said pressing organisational engagements required his presence in the national capital for an important meeting.
During his visit, Nabin attended a series of organisational programmes and chaired a joint meeting of the BJP’s sitting and former legislators at the party headquarters in Trikuta Nagar.
Pathania said the meeting focused on strengthening the BJP’s presence in Jammu and Kashmir, reinforcing its “nationalist ideology”, deepening people’s trust in the party and addressing issues including security in Jammu.
Nabin was initially scheduled to hold separate meetings with district and city leaders, elected representatives and former legislators. However, following the change in his programme, the interactions were merged into a joint meeting that lasted around one-and-a-half hours.
Earlier in the day, Nabin visited the RSS headquarters, Keshav Bhawan, at Amphalla and met senior Sangh functionaries. He also paid tributes to Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Prem Nath Dogra at Dogra Chowk before proceeding to the BJP headquarters.
Nabin said it was a privilege to visit Jammu and Kashmir during the 125th birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
He said the J&K BJP unit had been working to implement the schemes and programmes of the Modi government while keeping the party’s organisational activities “active and dynamic”.
Pathania described Jammu and Kashmir as the BJP’s “ideological cradle”, saying the party’s foundation was rooted in the movement for “Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan” and the sacrifice of Mookerjee.
Nabin said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had extended their support to the BJP and asserted that party workers would continue to serve them with dedication and a spirit of public service.
