People need relief, NC wants politics, BJP postpones protest in solidarity with victims: MP Sat Sharma

Jammu: Launching a scathing attack on the National Conference (NC), J&K BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma accused the ruling party of abandoning the people of Jammu & Kashmir during a humanitarian crisis and continuing to pursue its political agenda centered on the issue of statehood. Addressing a meeting of party workers and prominent locals for Booth Nos. 73 and 78 at Shakti Kendra Trikuta Nagar, Sat Sharma, was accompanied by J&K BJP Vice-President Rekha Mahajan, MLA Ch Vikram Randhawa, Mandal President Nitish Mahajan, former Corporator Lucky Puri, Shakti Kendra Pramukh Vishal Gupta, and other senior party leaders and workers. Sat Sharma said that while the people of Rajouri and Poonch are grappling with the devastation caused by the recent cloudburst and flash floods, the National Conference has shown little concern for the suffering of the affected families and remains obsessed with raising the slogan of "statehood" to divert attention from its failures. Sharma announced that the BJP has postponed its proposed Secretariat Gherao March at Lal Chowk, Srinagar, along with other protest programmes across Jammu & Kashmir, as a mark of solidarity with the victims of the natural disaster. He said that the party took this decision purely on humanitarian grounds so that relief and rescue operations are not hindered in any manner. "The BJP has always placed the interests of the people above politics. At a time when families have lost their loved ones, homes, livestock and livelihoods, our priority is to stand shoulder to shoulder with the affected people. The National Conference, instead of joining relief efforts, is busy pushing its political narrative to prevent its organizational and moral collapse," Sharma said. He further advised the NC leadership to stop exploiting sensitive issues for political survival and instead devote its energy to helping people in distress. He also informed that senior BJP leaders will soon visit the affected areas to assess the ground situation and extend every possible support to the victims. Reviewing the party's organizational programmes, Sat Sharma directed party workers to ensure the successful conduct of the upcoming Mann Ki Baat programme at every booth with maximum public participation. He also stressed strengthening booth-level organization and instructed workers to ensure prompt digital reporting of every party programme to enhance coordination and outreach. Rekha Mahajan urged party workers to remain connected with the public at the grassroots level and actively participate in relief efforts wherever required. She said the BJP has always believed in service before politics and every activist must continue working with dedication for society while effectively implementing the party's organizational programmes. Ch Vikram Randhawa said that while BJP workers remain committed to nation-building, development and public welfare, the National Conference has consistently pursued dynastic politics and self-interest. He alleged that the NC leadership continues to hide behind emotional slogans instead of answering for decades of misgovernance and neglect of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Nitish Mahajan presented the vote of thanks and assured the leadership that booth-level workers would work with full dedication to ensure successful conduct of Mann Ki Baat.