Prominent Gujjar leader joins BJP in Jammu

Jammu, Mar 1 (PTI) A prominent Gujjar community leader and dozens of his supporters joined the BJP here on Friday in the presence of the party’s president in Jammu and Kashmir Ravinder Raina.

Raina and other senior BJP leaders welcomed All Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Conference president Haji Mohd Yusuf Majnu into the party fold during a programme at the BJP headquarters.

“Gujjars and Bakerwals were deprived of their political rights and there was no political representation for them before Article 370 abrogation in 2019. It is the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took the bold decision of abrogating the constitutional provision which paved the way for giving representation to all sections of society,” Raina said.

He alleged that these communities have been tricked by the National Conference and Congress since Independence in the name of region and religion.

“After the abrogation of Article 370, new chapters of development have been written and Jammu and Kashmir is marching on the path of development on the lines of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’,” the BJP leader said.

Majnu said Gujjars and Bakerwals were patriotic communities and would work to ensure the BJP’s victory in the upcoming elections.

“We will leave no stone unturned to defeat the dividing forces and will strengthen the hands of Modi,” he added.