Cong stages protest, blocks Jammu-Pathankot highway

Congress activists staging protest at Gangyal in Jammu on Sunday.
Congress activists staging protest at Gangyal in Jammu on Sunday.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 20: Cautioning people against the deceitful tactics of the BJP, the working president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Raman Bhalla today regretted that common masses are struggling to get basic amenities but BJP leaders are shamelessly indulged into devising nefarious designs to befool the masses.
Addressing a huge protest march at Gangyal against anti-people policies of the BJP-controlled administration in J&K and BJP-led Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Bhalla lambasted the ridiculous statement given by some BJP regarding the Sarore Toll Plaza. “It was all due to the support and cooperation of BJP leadership that illegal collection of toll is going unabated at Sarore but the same BJP is asking the administration to suspend collection of toll”, he pointed.
“BJP leaders are indulged into deceitful tactics just to hoodwink the innocent people”, Bhalla said and BJP leaders are not interested in solving the problems of the people because they (BJP) leaders are more worried about furthering their only petty personal interests.
Joined by hundreds of residents of Gangyal and adjoining localities Bhalla along with former JMC Chairman, PCC Secretary Satish Sharma, Block president Janak Raj, Vipin Sangral, Arjun Kumar, Om Prakash, Angrej Singh, Gautam Sharma, Devinder Verma and others, took out a massive demonstration.
Shouting slogans against the BJP-controlled administration, people marched toward the highway and blocked vehicular movement on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for some time as a mark of protest against the Government’s decision to impose anti-people decisions through oppressive means.
“It is highly unfortunate that instead of involving consensus on installing electric smart meters and imposing property tax, the BJP-controlled administration is trying to forcibly impose these anti-poor decisions with the help of police”, he said and regretted that during the last nine years, democratic institutions have been bulldozed in J&K by the administration with the help of the BJP leaders.
Calling upon the people to come on the streets to oppose anti-poor policies being propagated by the BJP-controlled administration, Raman Bhalla exhorted the people to teach BJP a lesson in the forthcoming Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) elections.
Speaking on the occasion, former Corporator Satish Sharma called upon the people of the Jammu region to get united on common issues in order to wage a decisive battle against the anti-people BJP-controlled administration. He pointed out that the ongoing monsoon season has exposed tall claims of the BJP-led Jammu Municipal Corporation.