Senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana asserted on Saturday that his party is committed to safeguarding the reservations granted to backward classes following the abrogation of Article 370.
He accused the Congress-National Conference alliance of planning to deprive these communities of their rights. Rana made these remarks during a roadshow and rally organized by the BJP in the Chanapora constituency of Srinagar in early May 2024, where the party encouraged support for non-JKNC and non-PDP candidates.
Rana strongly opposed any attempts to rename Shankaracharya Hill as “Takht-e-Suleiman” and Hari Parbat as “Koh-e-Maran,” stating that these locations are sacred and significant to the faith of many.
This comes as National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah announced a pre-poll alliance with Congress for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu Kashmir, the first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The elections are scheduled to take place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes on October 4.
Rana claimed that the Congress-National Conference alliance intends to review or remove reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), depriving them of their constitutional rights.
He emphasized that the BJP is dedicated to protecting the interests of these communities and will resist any such changes.
He also accused the Congress of aligning with the National Conference to further its political agenda at the expense of these marginalized groups, vowing that the BJP will uphold the Constitution and ensure no discrimination against the Jammu region.