Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Dec 28: The Village Defence Committee (VDC) members and people from about a dozen villages from one community today held strong protest demonstration near Muradpur on Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch road and disrupted the movement of traffic for about two and half hours today.
The protest was organised by the people against the call given by Hurriyat Conference and other groups in Kashmir demanding disbanding of VDCs and also lodge protest against police which has arrested all the 10 members of the family of a drunken VDC member, who had killed a local NC leader over a personal tiff at Kesargalla in Kalakote area few days back. The protesting people raised barricades on the road at around 10.30 am and stopped the movement of vehicles on this busy road.
They were raising loud slogans against Hurriyat leaders Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik and Engineer Rashid besides J&K Govt and Police. They strongly opposed the move to disband VDCs in the State and said that those who are speaking to disband VDCs are the agents of Pakistan and supporters of militants. They alleged that Mufti led Coalition Govt was running on the dictates of Hurriyat and is appeasing to HC cadre. They condemned arrest of 10 members of VDC member of Kalakote including women and said that while one drunken man committed this criminal act who has already been arrested by police and booked for murder, why entire family is being made culprit. They alleged that PDP led Govt was working for the Hurriyat and demanded that all other innocent members be released.
They said there were no takers of Hurriyat call in Rajouri and Poonch and life was normal in all the towns. Some political parties are trying to give different colour to this incident and politicizing it. They said another VDC member from majority community killed mother and son of the same community over some personal rivalry. That was also an isolated incident. Such act by any VDC member is condemnable but there should not be any politics. Let them face the law of the land.
They raised loud slogans against Rajouri police and also PDP. Later, SHO Rajouri and SSP Rajeshwar Singh reached the spot. The SSP said that there was no such direction from the Govt to disband VDCs. He said those misusing these guns will be disbanded. Moreover, some people were trying to create confusion. He said that out of 10 members of Kalakote held by police, six were found innocent and released. Three others if found innocent will also be released. The VDC member has admitted his guilt and he has been booked for the murder. The people also demanded that the people who had raised pro-Pak slogans during protest on Dec 20 at Muradpur be arrested and booked as per law of the land. The SSP said that an FIR has already been registered in this connection and guilty will be punished. The people then lifted dharna at around 1 pm.
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