Senior BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singh Saturday said his newly floated Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan would fight the Panchayat polls to be held in nine-phases from November 17.
"The Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan is taking part in the Panchayat elections which are being held on non-party basis. After the polls, you will see our Sangathan will have the highest number of sarpanches in the state," the legislator from Basholi Assembly segment of Kathua district told reporters here.
The former minister had floated DSS in July to mark 100 days of his agitation to press for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the January rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district.
Though he had said that the group will be apolitical in nature, its 21-point vision document showed a clear political agenda.
The document focused on various issues including rotational chief ministers, separate public service commissions and service selection boards, promotion of Dogra art, culture and language among others.
"Since our Sangathan was apolitical in nature, we did not participate in the recently held municipal elections nor supported anyone but still we have a number of corporators and councilors who won these elections on their own," he said.
Alleging that Dogras of Jammu region have been discriminated against for the last seven decades, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said he wanted the Kashmir based politicians to ensure equality.
"We want to stand united but we will not tolerate discrimination any more," he said.
"We have formed this Sangathan and it will fight for the rights of the people of entire Jammu region irrespective of colour, creed and religion and will intensify its movement for the restoration of lost prestige and dignity of the Dogras, he added.
Singh, who along with another BJP minister resigned from the previous PDP-BJP government on the charges of backing the accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, said the Kashmir based politicians defamed the people of Jammu.
He said the demand for a CBI probe was to seek justice for the minor girl who was subjected to a brutal attack.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)