Rejecting the notion of political untouchability, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today asserted that India's heritage cannot be divided on ideological lines. He said all political leaders of the past deserve our respect, because they worked for the betterment of our nation.
He was speaking at a function in Jammu University, to mark the birth centenary of Late Shri Girdhari Lal Dogra.
Paying tribute to Late Shri Girdhari Lal Dogra, the Prime Minister said that he came into public life with an inspiration of patriotism. He said the very fact that Shri Dogra presented as many as 26 budgets, indicated his acceptability in politics; and expertise and dedication to the task at hand. He said Shri GL Dogra also groomed many political leaders.
Referring to the exhibition on Shri GL Dogra that he had inaugurated before the function, the Prime Minister said it was remarkable that his family was not visible in any of the photographs. He said this is a message for leaders in public life today.
The Prime Minister extended his greetings for the upcoming festival of Eid.
The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Shri N.N. Vohra, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Union Ministers Shri Arun Jaitley and Dr. Jitendra Singh, and senior leaders Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and Dr. Karan Singh were present on the occasion.