Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: Several National Panthers Party leaders including Ex-MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia were injured while dozens of the party activists arrested during protest demonstration at Tawi bridge here today while activists of Congress, National Conference and some other organizations held protest demonstrations at various places across the region in support of their demand of setting up of AIIMS in Jammu.
On the sixth day of the “Jammu bandh” for the restoration of AIIMS to Jammu, a large number of Panthers Party activists assembled outside the Press Club and staged a massive protest demonstration against the BJP’s policy of repression to forcefully quell the peaceful AIIMS agitation. The protest was spearheaded by Harshdev Singh chairman NPP and Balwant Singh Mankotia, State president. The protesters were raising slogans in support of their demand of setting up AIIMS in Jammu.
The protesters took out a procession and blocked the Tawi bridge which resulted in lathi charge and injuries to several workers including females. The police also arrested dozens of party leaders including Balwant Singh Mankotia, Anita Thakur, Jagdev Singh, Sham Gorkha, Anil Rakwal and others. The injured NPP leaders who were later released and rushed to GMC Hospital included Balwant Singh Mankotia, Anita Thakur, Sham Gorkha, Kailash Mohan and Jagdev Singh.
Expressing serious concern over the Government’s coercive posturing to cripple the AIIMS agitation, Harshdev Singh condemned the administration for its repression, coercion and barricading the roads and cane- charging the people holding protests. He said that the police on the directions of the Administration has been divesting them of their fundamental right to raise their voice against the wrong doings of the BJP partnered dispensation. He lambasted the BJP for resorting to the policy of intimidation and condemned the unprovoked brutal and barbaric police assault on the civil society by resorting to baton charge and tear gas shelling.
A strong protest demonstration was held at Nagrota today in which a large number of people participated and burnt the effigy of the Dy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh for failure to fulfill the commitment of AIIMS in Jammu.
A large number of people led by several prominent persons Sarpanchs and Panchs and senior Congress leader Th Shiv Dev Singh former MLA, assembled at Nagrota today in support of the ongoing agitation for AIIMS in Jammu and lodged a strong protest over the shifting of AIIMS announced for Jammu region to Kashmir. They raised slogans against the State Govt and the BJP leadership who betrayed the people for the sake of power.
Addressing the gathering Thakur Shiv Dev Singh lashed out at the BJP leaders for trying to mislead by their confusing and vague statements in a deliberate attempt to sabotage the ongoing agitation for getting the commitment fulfilled with the people of Jammu Region. He said that separate AIIMS for Jammu is the need of the hour and the failure of the BJP Govt proved their hollowness and hunger for power.
Another strong protest demonstration was held by the people of Halqa Marh which was led by former MLA Thakur Balwan Singh in support of the ongoing agitation for setting up of independent institution of AIIMS in Jammu.
The agitators burnt the effigy of Dy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and held strong protest demonstration against the Central and the State Government for denying AIIMS to Jammu region as already announced on Feb 28, 2015. The protesters raised slogans against the Centre and the State Govt for their failure to fulfill the announcement and the written commitment to concede the demand by or before July 20 for setting up of separate AIIMS in Jammu.
Addressing the gathering PCC general secretary Balwan Singh lashed out at the BJP for shifting the AIIMS announced for Jammu in order to strike a deal for sharing power. He said that the BJP stands exposed for its power hungry politics and sheer opportunism which amounts to betrayal of the people of Jammu region and creating wedge between the regions. He said that there is need for separate AIIMS in Jammu region and the BJP leaders are trying to hoodwink and mislead the people.
Mahila Congress activists led by Ex-MLA and State president (women wing) of the party Indu Pawar also held protest at Kunjwani and Samba. The workers were shouting slogans in support of their demand to set up AIIMS in Jammu. They also burnt the effigy of the DyCM Dr Nirmal Singh. Mrs Pawar alleged that BJP leadership from Jammu has totally sold out and they have surrendered before the Valley based leadership of the coalition partners. They have betrayed the people of Jammu who gave them massive mandate during previous elections.
Prominent among others who spoke included Lala Devi Dass, Shamsher Singh, Ashwani Sharma, Saudagar Singh Saini, Jagdish Raj Bhagat, Bhushan Sharma, Mohan Singh Chib, Col SN Dogra, S Manmohan Singh, Darshan Moton, Vijay Kumar Sharma, Gulzar Singh, Shiv Ram, Onkar Sharma, Balvinder Sharma, Vishan Dutt and Ramesh Sharma.
Reports of similar protests were received from various other parts of Jammu city including Gandhi Nagar, Satwari, Bakshinagar, Janipur, Sarwal, New Plot, Old city besides Akhnoor, Samba, Kathua, Hiranagar, R S Pura etc.
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