Jammu: Former MP, Tariq Hamid Qarra was on Monday accorded rousing reception at the airport Jammu on his arrival from Delhi. A number of senior congress leaders received him besides large number of congress workers and his supporters at the airport, while he arrived here along with PCC Chief GA Mir from Delhi by Go- Air in the afternoon. He was profusely garlanded amidst raising of slogans as he was taken in an open jeep from Airport to some distance on way to Party HQ at Shaheedi chowk Jammu, where senior leaders of the party and members of executive were invited to formally welcome him in the meeting. A large number of senior activist and workers had assembled at the head quarter to welcome him.
At the meeting of PCC executive, PCC Chief GAMir welcomed Qarra and described his decision to join the congress party as a welcome step which would go a long way to strengthen the congress party and the secular forces in the state. He said that party would be benefitted because of his experience, political and administrative acumen and grass root support in the state, especially in the valley.
Mir said that the unholy alliance of PDP-BJP has totally failed, as it was against the wishes and respective mandate of the two parties. He said that coalition has failed on every front and the situation has worsened in the state because of ‘opportunist’ alliance. He referred to the forthcoming elections to the Panchayats and blamed the coalition Govt. of adopting arbitrary and partisan mode of delimitation of wards for vested political interests and said that congress would not allow the institutions of PRIs to be weakened.
All prominent leaders of the party including senior functionaries of PCC , Dist. Presidents, present and former MLAs, MLCs and frontal heads were present in the meeting and greeted him.
Addressing the meeting Qarra said that his decision to quit PDP, of which he was one of the founding member, was due to deviation of the party from the fundamental values and principles for which the party was founded. He explained that the PDP was formed with the basic purpose of resolution of Kashmir issue and to strengthen the secular forces in the state. He said that the PDP mainly fought the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to keep BJP away in order to check the emergence of fascist forces. He regretted that the PDP not only became a facilitator but a collaborator to strengthen the communal and divisive policies of BJP-RSS, for which he was always opposed to and could not reconcile.
He said that PDP’s joining hands with BJP for the sake of power, was betrayal of the mandate of the people by the party. He lashed out at the policies of the Modi Govt., which has destroyed the political, social and democratic culture and damaged the secular fabric of the nation. He referred to the recent remarks of PM Modi about Shamshan Ghat and Kabrestan etc. with eye on UP elections, which is lowest ever point in the Indian politics.
He said that his decision to join Congress party is to strengthen the secular forces thus to strengthen the bonds of unity and integrity of the state by respecting the respective urges and aspirations of three regions. He said that Congress has a history and proven credentials of secularism and strengthening it further would be in the larger interests of the people of the state & nation. He said his efforts would be that together we make the congress as number one party in the state, which he said, could be little difficult but not impossible. He said that Congress is a party of all sections, religions and regions in the state and Country would emerge a strong force in the days ahead.
He said he had detailed deliberations and discussions with the congress leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi about the state of affairs and Kashmir issue and would like to contribute for the resolution of Kashmir problem on a larger canvass and hoped that he would receive the support and co-operation of the leadership and rank and file of the party. He said that the first challenge to the wrong policies and approach of Modi Govt. would be thrown from the state, as policies of the BJP Govt. are detrimental to the social and secular fabric of the state and nation and the political and democratic system in the country.
