A strong and vibrant National Conference is answer to surmounting all challenges facing to Jammu and Kashmir, former minister and State Secretary Surjeet Singh Slathia said on Tuesday.“National Conference is a force to reckon with and being secular by core it is the only party that can keep three distinct regions of the state united”, Slathia said while addressing a workers rally at Sha Talab Bari Brahmna in Vijaypur Assembly Constituency.Slathia enumerated the huge role played by National Conference during different spells of governance in changing the economic and developmental landscape of the state whenever voted to power and assured that serving people will always remain top of its agenda. He said public service has been the sole motivation of National Conference, which never allowed instability and fought all odds with active support and cooperation of the people. He regretted over the current political stalemate and hoped the era of uncertainty will end soon and a democratically elected government will be put in place, NC spokesman said Valley Media Service in a statement. He asked the cadre to get ready for big challenge in coming months and intensify further their mass outreach programme. He, however, exhorted them to remain vigilant against the machinations of disruptive and divisive elements.
Making a strong plea for promoting the time tested ethos of communal harmony and amity, the former minster said, “We have to survive and flourish as a secular party, as envisioned by Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah”. He urged the party functionaries to play their useful role in isolating divisive forces that were hell bent on taking the centre-stage again by polarising the society.Referring to various problems faced to the people across the Constituency, Slathia said he has been projecting these at appropriate levels for seeking redressal. He blamed the BJP for pushing the Vijaypur Constituency to the wall in respect of development and implementation of various welfare schemes. He lamented that the previous government abandoned various programmes initiated during the NC government for overall development of the constituency that adversely affected various key sectors the most.Prominent among those who spoke and were present in the rally included District President National Conference Mohinder Gupta, Vice President Vijay Singh, Block President Bhagwan Singh, District Secretary Om Prakash Attri, former President Municipal Committee Raman Gupta besides Sarpanches Shehnaz Akhter, Tejinder Kour, Daljeet Singh, Brijpal Singh, Balwan Singh, Madhu Charak and ex- Sarpanches Mohammed Sadiq, Ghulam Nabi, Jagdish Singh, Gulab Din, Rashid Ahmed, Mohammed Younis and Ayub Din.(VMS)