Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 14: To show solidarity with the SPOs and Village Defence Committee (VDC) members, the BJP held demonstrations at district Headquarters in Doda and tehsil headquarters at Doda, Ramban , Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch districts today.
The dharnas were led by senior leaders of the Party. With placards and banners in their hands the protesting BJP activists were raising slogans in support of SPOs and VDC members’ demands.
Criticizing the Government BJP leaders said that VDC members and SPOs have done yeoman service to the nation in fighting the terrorism in remote areas of Jammu region and many of them laid down their lives for their mother land. Instead of rewarding them the Government has terminated the services of some of the SPOs and has started process of disbanding VDCs negating their role and sacrifices, they added.
They also lambasted the Government for maintaining a stoic silence on the regularization demand of VDC members and SPOs, which has been the cause of concern among the nationalist forces in the State and warned that the BJP will launch agitation in case the Government continues its rigid stand on the demand.
The BJP leaders also demanded enhancement of wages of VDC members as well as SPOs who are unable to feed their families in these hard and tough days. They also submitted memoranda to authorities in the respective areas and warned that in case the demands were not settled the Party will be forced to launch indefinite agitation in support of the demands of VDC members and SPOs.
BJP State president Shamsher Singh Manhas, who led the protest dharna at Gandoh alongwith State Vice-president Som Raj Khajuria and Doda District president Dalip Singh Parihar warned against the Government move to disband the VDCs and disengaging the SPOs. Such a decision will invite wide spread resentment and lead to youth unrest, he added.
Dr. Nirmal Singh, who led the protest dharna at district headquarters Doda, said that it is strange that dozens of SPOs have been disengaged on flimsy grounds. He alleged that
SPOs are facing the worst type of exploitation through the hands of Government, which tantamount to human rights violation. In view of the increased threat of cross border terrorism to India these grass root level security agencies should have been strengthened by the Government but facts are contrary, he added.
State Vice-president Bali Bhagat led the protest dharna at Ramban. State Secretary Sunil Sharma and Kishtwar district Prabhari Brijmohan Sharma led similar protest dharna at Kishtwar. At Assar, the demonstration was led by state secretary Mamta Singh, while at Chatru it was led by district general secretary Chuni Lal Shaan. Udhampur district. president, Dina Nath Bhagat and MLA Shyam Choudhary sat on dharna with party activists at Chenani.
Ramban district president Ramesh Sharma led the protest dharna at Ramsoo. Similarly, Reasi district president Kabla Singh led the dharna at Reasi. Senior leader Kuldeep Raj Gupta and Rajouri district president Yogesh Sharma led protest march at Rajouri town. BJYM State President Munish Sharma sat on protest dharna at Ramnagar. At Mahore, similar dharna was led by district general secretaries Ramesh Ji and Nazir Ahmed.
Senior leader from Poonch Pardeep Sharma and district president Sunil Gupta led the protest at Poonch while district vice-president Chain Singh led the same at Arnas and Ravi Kumar led the same at Dachhan. State Working Committee Member Shakti Parihar and Basant Raj led it at Thathri.
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