‘won’t compromise with jammu interests’

JAMMU: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MLA Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana Saturday reiterated to uphold the “cause of Jammu” saying that he would not compromise with the

interest of the region even if it meant sacrificing his political career. Rana, joined by former minister Surjit Singh Slathia, made this assertion on their return to Jammu after joining the

BJP in New Delhi. Rana was addressing a large gathering of people and media persons at his residence. Overwhelmed by the rousing reception received from his enthusiastic supporters on their

return, Rana said that the people’s enthusiasm was a referendum on their decision to risk their political career for “Jammu Declaration”. He targeted those criticising his move to join BJP

saying that he did not require a “certificate from anyone on secularism”. “My people know me very well and I know them as well. I am grateful to the people including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs

and Christians who have come from different parts of Jammu and showered their love on me,” Rana said. “The Jammu declaration is my political agenda. Some people ask what the Jammu

declaration is and for them, I want to say it is a concept which is developing and whose base has been set up. Like the Gupkar Declaration which is also a concept and the contours of which

will be completed with consultations of the people,” he said. “Jammu Declaration, a concept of Jammu, for Jammu and by Jammu, is a narrative from here for inclusive J&K 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,” he said addressing his supporters at his residence. Earlier, a large number of his supporters accompanied them in a mega

rally from airport, covering a distance of around 2 km in three and half hours, up to his residence.