Prem Sagar Aziz joins National Conference

JAMMU: Former Congress Minister Prem Sagar Aziz today joined the National Conference and was welcomed by the party working president Omar Abdullah here, a party spokesman said.nnSagar had joined the Congress on May 12, 1972, and was elected as an MLA in 2002.nnHe is a former minister and was considered a close associate of former deputy chief minister Mangat Ram Sharma.nnWelcoming Sagar in the party, Abdullah said the National Conference is the only and natural destination for all those who believe in single entity and a pluralistic identity of Jammu and Kashmir.nn”Sagar and his associates were the source of strength and they will be valued like the cadre of National Conference in steering out the state from prevailing morass,” the former chief minister said.nnHe lauded Sagar’s contribution in serving the state in different capacities and expressed the hope that his joining would infuse new vigour among the cadre in Kathua district to serve the state and its people.nnAbdullah expressed concern over spurt in militancy and said it was worrisome that alienated young educated youths are increasingly resorting to militancy.nn”Instead of getting job letters, the educated youth feel lured to take guns in their hands, as they find their future bleak,” he said.nnReferring to the recent suicide attacks on a CRPF camp in Pulwama and IED attack in Sopore, he said the rise in violence marks the failure of the PDP-BJP coalition government.nn”The New Year took off on a very grim note with CRPF and police personnel, besides civilians, getting killed in one after another incidents,” he said.nn”The PDP-BJP (government) has produced more militants than ever before,” he said.nnSource: Press Trust of India