BJP’s Cabinet ministers forget ideologue on birth anniversary

JAMMU: Suffixed with the title of “Sher-e-Duggar”, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra remained a source of inspiration for Jana Sangh and BJP leaders for decades, but ministers of the saffron party in the coalition government were now hesitating from owing allegiance to the nationalist ideology of the late leader.

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 24

Suffixed with the title of “Sher-e-Duggar”, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra remained a source of inspiration for Jana Sangh and BJP leaders for decades, but ministers of the saffron party in the coalition government were now hesitating from owing allegiance to the nationalist ideology of the late leader.

Today was the 133rd birth anniversary of Pandit Dogra, who had launched the historic “Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan” movement in the early 1950s along with Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee for total integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India.

Fearing that their presence at the function to celebrate the birth anniversary of Pandit Dogra would annoy the PDP, all Cabinet ministers of the BJP skipped the event even though some of them were present in Jammu today.

Highly placed sources in the BJP said all ministers of the party were extended an invitation to attend today’s function, but no Cabinet minister had time to spare for paying tributes to one of the founding fathers of the Jana Sangh.

Priya Sethi, Minister of State in the coalition government, attended the function, but all Cabinet ministers skipped the event.

The sources said there was anger among party workers against this approach of Cabinet ministers who could not spare time to attend the birth anniversary function of “Sher-e-Duggar”, a source of inspiration for the BJP cadre throughout the country.

“We take ideological inspirations from Pandit Dogra, who had fought against the anti-Jammu approach of successive state governments. But unfortunately, our ministers have no time to pay tributes to the great leader on his birth anniversary,” said a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity.

“Party ministers had skipped the function to pay tributes to Dr Mookerjee earlier,” he added. He pointed out that Pandit Dogra was against a separate flag and separate constitution for Jammu and Kashmir, which was the reason party ministers skipped the function today.

The party said a function was organised at Dogra Chowk to pay tributes to Pandit Dogra. State BJP president Sat Sharma said Pandit Dogra was an institution in himself who, with his vision and leadership, led the historic “Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan” agitation in 1953.

“Sixteen patriotic citizens had laid down their lives for honour of the Tricolour at Hiranagar, Ramban, Jourian and Sunderbani. The consistent agitation resulted in abolition of a separate Prime Minister. A separate flag and constitution exist and the party is committed to fulfil the dream of Pandit Dogra,” he said.