Jammu, 12 April (H.S.): Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Jammu & Kashmir holds a unique place in the ideological evolution of the Bharatiya Janata Party, tracing its roots to the early years of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founded by Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee in 1951. He recalled that one of the first major movements led by Dr. Mukherjee was for the complete integration of Jammu & Kashmir with India, during which he visited the region in 1953 and passed away in Srinagar under tragic circumstances.

Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that this historic association not only gave an early impetus to the Jana Sangh but also firmly linked the identity of the party with Jammu & Kashmir for generations to come.

Stating that BJP workers in Jammu & Kashmir are direct inheritors of this legacy, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, this legacy is both a privilege and a challenge for them, a privilege because they represent the foundational ideals of the party, and a challenge because they are expected to uphold and exemplify that legacy in their conduct, commitment, and public life. He said that across the country, BJP’s political discourse and election campaigns frequently draw reference to Jammu & Kashmir, making the conduct and credibility of workers from the region a matter of national relevance.

Dr. Jitendra Singh was addressing a meeting of BJP office bearers and senior functionaries in Jammu, convened in view of organisational discussions that are usually held alongside executive committee meetings. In the absence of a scheduled executive meeting, the meeting was organised to review activities undertaken in the intervening period and to plan organisational programmes ahead. The meeting was attended by J&K BJP President Sat Paul Sharma, senior leader and former MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Ali Khatana, Organisation General Secretary Ashok Koul, and other senior office bearers and party workers.

At the outset, condolences were expressed on the demise of senior personalities, including veteran singer Asha Bhosle, as informed during the proceedings, and BJP MLA from Kathua Bharat Bhushan, who passed away earlier in the day.

Referring to organisational growth, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the BJP’s journey from its Jana Sangh origins to becoming the world’s largest political organisation reflects decades of ideological commitment and grassroots perseverance. He congratulated Sat Sharma on being elected for a second consecutive term as J&K BJP President, describing it as a rare development in the party’s organisational framework.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar