Bharatiya Janata Party requests Jammu & Kashmir's political leaders to welcome G20 delegates

File Photo

Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that all political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir must welcome the G20 delegates wholeheartedly.

Party's J&K chief Ravinder Raina said: "I request that all big leaders of political parties wholeheartedly welcome the G20 team members." Raina was speaking to reporters in Jammu on Monday. The third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting began in the erstwhile state's summer capital Srinagar on Monday.

"Atithi Devo Bhava, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam has been our tradition. Big leaders like Farooq Abdullah who have worked in constitutional positions, sometimes as chief ministers and sometimes as Union ministers, were always welcomed in different countries during their foreign visits," he said.

Now that the guests have come to our home, we must welcome them with love and an open heart, he added.

About 60 foreign delegates arrived in Srinagar on Monday for the third tourism working group meeting of the G20 countries. This is the first international meeting being held in Kashmir after almost three decades and the meeting bears significance as it is being held after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh - in August 2019.

Also read: Mumbai: Sameer Wankhede alleges death threats, submits letter to police

Raina thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving respect to Jammu and Kashmir by holding the event in Srinagar.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir are highly grateful to Modi for giving an opportunity to the people to welcome the representatives of the mighty G20 group. It is for the first time that such a big event is being held in J&K. We are grateful to the nations who are taking part in the event," he said.

"Conspiracies were going on at the international level and thus the event being held in Kashmir has a great meaning," the BJP leader said. (With inputs from PTI)