Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 6: A massive protest demonstration was held at Ambedkar Chowk, Jammu under the banner of Dalit, OBC and Minorities Confederation (DOM) and other organizations to displace the statues of Dr B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi from the Parliament premises in Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, State president of DOM-Confederation, RK Kalsotra described the Government’s move to relocate the statues of Dr Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi from the main place in the Parliament premises as arbitrary. He alleged that in the last few years, many MPs have protested near the statues of Gandhi and Ambedkar. In the past, many dharnas were also organized near the Gandhi’s statue.
Opposition leaders also gathered near Ambedkar’s statue to celebrate Constitution Day. The Government does not want protests to be held at traditional sites of democratic protest right next to the Parliament session. Removing these statues arbitrarily without any consultation, is a violation of the basic spirit of the democracy.
He further said that on Dr Ambedkar’s birthday and Smriti Divas, thousands of people pay homage to his statue in the Parliament premises. The Government was urged to reinstall both the statues at their old place.
He claimed that Government is evicting the poor from their allotted and old lands like agricultural land, temples, gurudwaras, churches and mosques. At Miran Sahib, Dalit families have been sitting on dharna for more than 137 days now. The government has fenced their lands. The situation is similar in Kathua, Keerian Gandyal, Chak Jangi and Ghagwal.
Several reserved category leaders addressed the gathering. They included Bansi Lal Choudhary, Narinder Singh, Mir Shahid Saleem, Peter Mattoo, Syed Choudhary, Shashi Syal, Tarsem Khullar, Jatinder Singh Lucky and others.
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