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| BJP leaders join Phari platform, gear up campaign for ST status | | |
Shafiq Mir
Rajouri, June 17
Apparently keeping an eye on the coming Assembly elections, some prominent front runner leaders of Bhartya Janta Party(BJP) have joined State Phari Welfare Forum and have actively started campaigning for the Schedule Tribe status for Phari speaking people in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This is perhaps for the first time in the political history of Jammu and Kashmir state that any BJP leader have openly become the part of any such organisation which is being led by a Muslim leader in the state. All of the BJP leaders who joined Phari Welfare Forum belong to Rajouri and Poonch border region and are working hard to identify themselves as Phari Hindus instead Brahmin Khatri or Mahajins. A prominent BJP leader advocate Vibodh Gupta who is already state secretary of Bhartya Janta Party has also been given the portfolio of state secretary in Phari Welfare Forum led by Raja Sharafat Ali kahan of Barranmullah Kashmir. The BJP leaders were roped in to the forum by Raja Sharafat Ali Khan , Chairman State Phari Welfare Forum , during his recent week long tour of the border region.
Confirming his joining Phari Welfare Forum along with his hundreds of prominent workers Advocate Vibodh Gupta, said that he has joined this organisation keeping in view what he called ‘common cause’. He said . other than Gujjars and Bakerwals, all the residents of Rajouri and Poonch with out caste,colour, creed and religion are Pharies. “ Though my political organisation is BJP but I joined Phari Welfare forum keeping in view the common cause of the Phari community and I will fight up to any extent till the schedule tribe status is not given to the Phari people of the state”, said Gupta. He also informed that in the last two days he has organised dozens of meetings in Sunderbani and Nowshehra tehsils of Rajouri district to mobilise the public support for Phari movement in the Hindu majority areas of the region.
Giving details of the development, sources said, an agreement has been signed between the Phari Forum and BJP leadership that if the Forum supports BJP candidates in the coming assembly elections in the state, the BJP leadership at Delhi would plead the cause of Phari people in the centre. Though the leaderships both the organisations have refused to have signed any such pact, but a senior leader of Phari Welfare Forum wishing not to be named said that after long deliberations the Phari Forum have decided to support the BJP in the coming assembly elections so that BJP support at central level is sought for Phari cause. “ We took this decision after long deliberations and our this decision will definitely yield sympathies for BJP leadership at central level for our cause”, he added.
Observers is of the opinion that if national BJP leadership assures open support to the Phari movement for ST status there can be any miracle of BJP wining some seats in the coming assembly elections from the Muslim dominated region of Rajouri and Poonch.
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