SRINAGAR: Jammu came out in impressive numbers to offer Devender Singh Rana a welcome after joining the BJP. The three-time lawmaker had deserted the NC last week after 22 years.
Rana spoke to the cheering crowds saying the peoples’ welcome was an endorsement to his ‘Jammu Declaration’, the idea of creating a Jammu-centric narrative for Jammu and Kashmir. He introduced a new slogan – Jammu, Jammu.
“Jammu Declaration, a concept of Jammu, for Jammu and by Jammu, is a narrative from here for inclusive Jammu and Kashmir to achieve the objective of socio-economic, political and developmental parity between all the regions and sub-regions with no region and no section, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, nurturing feeling of deprivation or discrimination, domination or subjugation”, Rana told the gathering after his arrival. His supporters took him in a rally from the airport.
Surjeet Singh Slathia flanked Rana on an open jeep, decked with golden flowers.
Rana vowed to pursue this agenda religiously as the ownership of the concept goes to the people of Jammu.
“I have been, am and would serve the people as their servant and those knowing me can vouch for it on the basis of my service to the people”, emotionally overtaken Rana said amid chants of ‘Jammu, Jammu, Jammu, Jammu’.
Insisting that the land of warriors has to retrieve its pristine glory and it can’t be achieved by an individual but a collective and united effort by people of all shades and walks of life are required. He said by Jammu he always means Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Ramban and all other areas. Jammu’s assimilative ethos encompasses the entire Jammu and Kashmir, its people, its ethos and its glory, he maintained.
The two leaders were profusely garlanded and the supporters kept showering flower petals on them as the procession reached his Gandhi Nagar Home. There were horse, car and bike rallies with riders in traditional costumes escorting the two BJP entrants. The cultural activists of various areas of the Jammu region kept dancing on drum beats as the enthusiasm ran high among the supporters.
