Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 7: A day before the crucial and maiden meeting of the AIIMS Coordination Committee after suspension of six-day long Jammu Bandh, the District Administration today got the venue of chain hunger strike near Tawi bridge forcibly evicted amidst some resistance from the protesters, who continued their dharna till evening.
Even as a clash like situation erupted when Administration removed tents from the venue and the AIIMS CC members resisted the move, heavy deployment of Police at the site did not allow any untoward incident to take place. Because of the resistance posed by the ACC members on the spot, Police avoided to remove a big hoarding put up at the dharna site apparently to evade more confrontation.
However, in the late evening after the ACC members left the site after conclusion of day-long hunger strike, Police swung into action once again and removed the left over hoarding besides a few bricks, which were used for erecting a stage there.
Meanwhile, Police is looking out for the person who had flashed a provocative message on social site asking people to reach at the dharna site claiming that a clash was taking place there between Police and ACC members during the action.
“After 17 hours since issuance of the order for eviction of the dharna site near Tawi Bridge, the District Administration this morning removed tents and hoardings put up there by AIIMS Coordination Committee after making proper inventory of all the items besides videography of the action,” Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh told the Excelsior.
While chairs and Generator set were already lifted by the ACC, Administration removed six tents, three tarpaulins, 12 bamboos, five ropes, three hoardings and some bricks, which are now in the Police custody, the DC added.
As reported by the Excelsior, the Jammu District Administr-ation had yesterday asked AIIMS CC to remove its dharna adjoining the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh near Tawi Bridge link road, within 12 hours or face eviction proceedings under RPC.
Heavy deployment of Police was made around the dharna venue to avoid any untoward incident during eviction of the site and more particularly in view of BJP’s Dhanyawad Rally from Ambphalla to Dusshera Ground Gandhi Nagar, which however, adopted the 4th Tawi Bridge route for reaching at the culmination point. The District Administration had granted permission to BJP for taking out the rally by relaxing the restrictions imposed under section 144, official sources said.
As per the eyewitness accounts, Police force led by Additional Deputy Commissi-oner Rifat Kohli reached at the dharna site around 8.30 a m and asked Chairman of ACC Abhinav Sharma to vacate the venue of the chain hunger strike at Tawi bridge area in view of the security reasons.
As Abhinav Sharma and other ACC members, including Judge (Retd) Pavitar Singh, Narain Singh, Inderjeet Khajuria and Rajiv Chuni, turned down the request and insisted for continuing the dharna at the same site without any permission, police teams forcibly removed ACC hoardings, banners and tents put up there. Amid shouting of anti-BJP slogans by the ACC members, the removed items were put in Police trucks and taken away.
Even after the site was evicted, heavy contingent of Police remained there till the BJP’s Dhanyawad Rally from Ambphalla passed off Jewel Chowk area and moved towards Canal Road this afternoon while the ACC resumed its dharna at the same venue till the evening.
According to Abhinav Sharma, the protest dharna and chain hunger strike by the AIIMS CC will continue though the venue is being shifted to Exhibition Ground, near Press Club Jammu from tomorrow. “Further course of action will also be decided tomorrow in the ACC meeting, which will be held on Saturday at 11 a m at Bar Room in the High Court Complex,” he informed while reiterating that struggle would continue till the logical conclusion.
Though no untoward incident took place at the dharna venue during eviction of the site, official sources said that an un-successful attempt was made by some elements to make the situation explosive. “On a social site, some provocative message was flashed urging people to reach at the dharna venue by claiming that a big fight was going on between AIIMS CC and the State Government there over eviction of the site,” sources said and added that the administration has taken serious notice of the apparent attempt for disturbing peace and Police was tracking down the person who had flashed the provocative message for action under law against the accused.
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