Heated exchanges as MLA threatens to demolish Plaza

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 1: The Legislative Assembly today witnessed heated exchanges between CAPD Minister Zulfikar Choudhary and NC MLA Devender Singh Rana when the latter threatened to take law in his own hands by demolishing the Toll Plaza at Ban Talab near Nagrota on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway as the BJP maintained that construction of the Toll Plaza had started during the tenure of previous NC-Congress coalition Government.
Rana, the NC MLA from Nagrota, raised the issue for second consecutive day in the Assembly during Zero Hour and demanded disbanding of the Toll Plaza on the ground that the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway hasn’t been completed as yet.
Industries and Commerce Minister and BJP leader Chander Prakash Ganga countered Rana saying it was the previous National Conference-Congress Government, which had allowed construction of the Toll Plaza.
“It was during the tenure of the previous Government that construction of the Toll Plaza had started and now the NC MLA is raising the issue when he is in opposition,’’ Ganga said.
An agitated Rana said just like the one Toll Plaza was removed by the people, this Toll Plaza too will not be at its place in next seven days.
“If that is the way to remove the Toll Plaza, I will adopt it. I am saying this it in the House. I will remove the Toll Plaza from Ban Talab,’’ Rana said in an angry tone.
Reacting to the open threat given by Devender Rana in the Assembly to uproot the Toll Plaza, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Minister Zulfikar Choudhary said this was highly condemnable that a MLA, who is a lawmaker, is threatening to take the law in his own hands to demolish the Toll Plaza.
“What can be expected from the people, if a MLA says that he will break the law. He is issuing the threat inside the Assembly. If he does so, the law will take its own course and the MLA will have to face the law,’’ Zulfikar said.
Pointing out that Rana was MLC and very close to corridors of power when construction of the Toll Plaza had started, the Minister said he did nothing then to stop it and was now threatening the Government.
Intervening, Speaker Kavinder Gupta said such statement shouldn’t have been made in the House by Rana.
Rana’s party colleague, Kamal Arora and Congress MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori also supported him saying the demand projected by Rana is genuine and should be considered by the Government.
Ganga again responded saying the Toll Plaza had been constructed with the complete consent of Rana.
“Why did you allow the construction of the Toll Plaza during your Government’’? the Minister put a counter question to Rana.
Rana said it was unfortunate that the treasury benches were encouraging the people to break the Toll Plaza.
“I have been taking up the issue in the House politely but there is no reply from the Government. My politeness is being treated as my weakness. This will prompt the people to take to roads,’’ Rana warned.
Zulfikar said the concern expressed by Rana is “ours concern also’’ but the MLA must know that this matter is not in the purview of the State Government. “The Union Ministry of Surface Transport deals with the Toll Plazas,’’ he said and reiterated that if the MLA takes law in his hands, the law will take its own course.
Rana warned that he was being forced by the Government to take law in his hands.

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