Congress today paid rich tributes to former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Girdhari Lal Dogra at a function here to mark his birth centenary.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was the chief guest for the function, which was presided by state Congress President Ghulam Ahmed Mir. The event was attended by senior functionaries of state Congress.
Azad described Dogra as a truly-committed Congress leader who was dedicated to the cause of the uplift of the poor and downtrodden irrespective of caste, creed, region or religion.
He said that Dogra was one of the tallest leaders of his time who rose from a humble background to contribute to the establishment of democracy and work for promotion of peace and harmony in the state, said Azad.
Dogra always remained committed to the principles of secularism, socialism and democracy, he said.
Recalling his long association with Dogra, father-in-law of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Azad noted that those who differed with his political ideology, too, were remembering him on his 100 birth anniversary.
That is a tribute to his philosophy of life and the principles he lived for, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in on a short visit today to take part in the commemoration of the life and work of Dogra.
An advocate by profession, Dogra was born in the small Bhaiya village in Kathua district. He died on November 27, 1987.
