Reposing faith in the Panthers Party, ex-BJP MLA from Chenani, Dina Nath Bhagat along with his supporters joined J&K National Panthers Party (NPP) in presence of Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman and other party leaders. Appealing the people to strengthen and support Panthers Party, Harsh Dev said that it was high time that Dogras identified and acknowledged the services of those who were actually championing the cause of Jammu. He said that NPP had vociferously projected the concerns of Jammu region and fought for safeguarding its interest at all possible forums to the entire satisfaction of its people. “It was time to support and strengthen the party for the ultimate empowerment of the people of the Dogra land. Neither the national, nor the Kashmir based parties were the solution for the ills afflicting Jammu region. A regional party alone could meet the aspirations of Jammu and address the local issues of the public”, Singh claimed adding that people were increasingly reposing their faith in Panthers Party and its leadership. Accusing the BJP of having betrayed the collective sentiment of Dogras, Singh said that NPP was all prepared to provide a viable alternative to the people of Jammu region. He said that with peoples’ distrust having exacerbated in BJP and its state leadership in particular, the people were eagerly awaiting to give it a befitting reply in the ongoing DDC elections. Dina Nath Bhagat said that he was feeling extremely suffocated in BJP but after joining Panthers Party, he could breathe a sigh of relief. He rebuked the mandated Saffron leaders for having failed to live up to the aspirations of the people. “There are so many other leaders who are uncomfortable in the BJP. For every small thing, they have to ask and take the permission of the top leadership sitting in New Delhi. The BJP at the Centre is least bothered about the issues of Jammu region and there has been a dichotomy between what it said and what it delivered, ” Bhagat said. Meanwhile, Vinod Kumar filed his nomination papers from Ramnagar-I and Ram Paul from Ramnagar-II for DDC elections. The NPP candidates appealed the people to actively exercise their right of franchise in the DDC elections.
