BJP insulted Maharaja by downgrading his historical state into UT – Bhalla

Senior Congress leaders joined Maharaja Hari Singh birthday celebrations at Tawi

Congress takes pledge  to intensify statehood movement

Jammu, Sept 23- The Congress party today paid rich tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh ji on his 130th birth anniversary and remembered his visionary & progressive rule and pledged to intensify the movement for the restoration of full state of Maharaja sahib.

A team of Senior Congress leaders led by former minister and Working President Raman Bhalla, Chief Spokesperson & Ex MLC Ravinder Sharma, Ex MLC Ved Mahajan,  Suresh Dogra Ex General Secretary PCC, Ex- Chief Whip JMC Congress Corporators Dwarka Choudhary, Spokesperson Kapil Singh, Chief Media Coordinator Neeraj Gupta, party leaders Rajesh Sharma, Vijyant Pathania, Suman Wazir,  Rakesh Sharma, Sohit Sharma & ors visited Maharaja Hari Singh statue at Tawi Bridge and garlanded his statue and joined the celebrations there.

Speaking on the occasion Working President Raman Bhalla said that Maharaja Hari Singh was a visionary and progressive ruler who brought several social reforms through his rule. He was a true patriot and told Britishers to leave India.

He brought landmark legislations to protect the land, jobs and natural resources of J&K being a hilly tourist state and enacted state subject laws. This shows his far sightedness.

Bhalla said that Maharaja Hari Singh ji ‘s state was disbanded, divided and downgraded removing all safeguards for land, jobs and natural resources by the BJP government. It amounts to insult Maharaja Hari Singh ji for which BJP should  apologize to  Maharaja and people of his state especially Dogras.

He said that Congress had taken a pledge at the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh ji before proceeding to Delhi Chalo campaign for statehood that we shall fight for restoration of full statehood. We are determined to fight for the restoration of full state of Maharaja Hari Singh ji and shall intensify the struggle for statehood, after the situation arising to rain/ floods improves.

Talking to reporters Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma referred to the landmark progressive decisions of Maharaja Hari Singh ji who declared that Justice is my religion and all religions belong to him. He brought several landmark reforms and signed the accession of J&K with India. He was true nationalist & will always be remembered for his contributions.

He reiterated the party’s pledge to fight for restoration of Maharaja ‘s state which was disbanded and downgraded by BJP government more than six years ago and not being restored against the aspirations of all people of J&K. Congress shall intensify the struggle in near future and ensure the identity, dignity, rights to the residents.