Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 6: On the opening day of the Darbar Move offices in Jammu today, a large number of activist of National Conference, Pradesh Congress, National Panthers Party led by senior leadership and some other organizations took out protest rallies across the winter capital city while hundreds of NC and Congress leaders and workers were arrested by police when they were moving towards Civil Secretariat.
National Conference, the major opposition party started its massive protest march from party headquarters, Residency Road under the leadership of Provincial President, Devender Singh Rana (MLA). Hundreds of NC workers from various constituencies earlier assembled at Party office and then started protest rally towards Civil Secretariat at around 11 AM. The party activists were carrying party flags and placards in their hands and were shouting slogans against PDP-BJP Government. They alleged that this Government has totally failed on all the fronts and discrimination against the people of Jammu has increased during this regime.
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The rally passed through Residency Road and Raghunath Bazaar and then reached City Chowk where several senior leaders addressed the gathering. They strongly criticized the BJP-PDP Government for its failure to deliver to the people of the State. They alleged that these two parties have joined hands for the lust of power. They only exploited religious sentiments of the people and also created regional bias between Kashmir and Jammu for their vested interests.
As the party workers reached near Shalamar Road, strong contingent of police and CRPF intercepted them and did not allow to move ahead. The workers struggled and showed some resistance but the police ultimately foiled their protest march towards Civil Secretariat. Over 300 party workers and senior leaders including Devender Singh Rana, Dr Kamal Arora, Surjit Singh Slathia, Ajay Sadhotra, Mushtaq Bukhari, Rashpal Singh, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, Mohd Hussain, Bimla Luthra, Chander Mohan, Brij Mohan Sharma, Ajaz Jan, Kashmira Singh, Depinder Kour, Satwant Kour Dogra, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Vijay Lakshmi Dutta, Dharam Veer Singh Jamwal, Vijay Lochan, Ram Pal, Surinder Singh Bunty, Ayub Malik, Rashida Begum and others were arrested by police and shifted to District Police Lines in police vehicles. However, they were released in the afternoon.
NC activists led by MLA Javed Rana also held protest demonstration at Mendhar town against State Government and its anti-people policies. The rally started from party office and then after passing through main bazaar culminated at the same place. The MLA also addressed the gathering.
Pradesh Congress leaders and workers led by State president Ghulam Ahmed Mir started their massive protest march from the party headquarters, Shaheedi Chowk, Jammu towards Civil Secretariat in the morning amidst raising slogans against failure of PDP-BJP Government on all fronts and policies of Central Govt. After passing through Residency Road the rally reached Raghunath Bazaar where strong police contingent raised barricades and restricted their movement ahead.
Led by PCC Chief GA Mir, hundreds of Congress workers, a large number of senior party leaders including senior PCC functionaries, former ministers, District presidents and leaders of frontal organizations like Mahila Congress Youth Congress Seva Dal, NSUI and INTUC and Cells of the party took out a march from Congress office at around 10.30 AM. The party workers were carrying placards and raising slogans against the State and Centre Governments over their failures on various fronts. The banners, placards and slogans highlighted the problems and demands of various sections in the State and reminding the two parties of their poll promises to the people of different sections of the State.
As the protesters marched towards Raghunath Mandir Chowk, a heavy contingent of police prevented the Congress leaders from proceeding towards Civil Secretariat via Raghunath Bazaar and City Chowk. Upon this the Congress leaders held a dharna and strong protest demonstration at the site raising slogans against the State Govt for trying to prevent them from lodging protests over the failures of the Government in the peaceful and democratic manner. Later, the leaders insisted on proceeding further which resulted into minor scuffle resulting into injuries to several Congress activists including some Mahila Congress activists. The protesters succeeded in marching ahead towards Raghunath Bazar before they were taken into custody and detained in Police Lines Gandhi Nagar. Scores of party activists courted arrest. The police ran short of vehicles while shifting them to DPL.
All the senior leaders of the party were taken into custody, who included PCC president, GA Mir, Sham Lal Sharma, Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla, Kanta Bhan, Ravinder Sharma, RS Chib, Yogesh Sawhney, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Manjit Singh, Manmohan Singh, Namrata Sharma, Indu Pawar (President Mahila Congress), Swarn Lata, Shiv Dev Singh, GL Chalotra, Krishan Chander Bhagat, Ashok Dogra, Kuldeep Raj Verma, Prof Gharu Ram, S. Amolak Sigh, Anil Chopra, Maheshwar Singh, Ashok Sharma, Iqbal Malik, Zahida Khan, Ch. Ghani, Pankaj Dogra, Pranav Shagotra (PYC president), Satish Sharma, BS Sambyal (Seva Dal), Neeraj Kundan (NSUI), Shiv Kumar Sharma (INTUC chief) , Ashok Gupta- Udhampur, Gurdarshan Singh, Gajan Sigh ( Minority Cell), Bansi Lal Raina (Migrant Cell), Neeraj Gupta, Praveen Sarwar Khan, Soba Singh, Hari Singh Chib, Dr Kanwal Singh, Manjeet Singh Jatt, Nadim Sharief Niaz, Jai Singh, Suresh Dogra, Col Swarn Singh, Shafi Dar and others.
Earlier, addressing the gathering PCC chief lashed out at the PDP-BJP Government in the State for its failure on all fronts and vitiating the atmosphere of peace and harmony in the State due to their wrong policies. He said that the Modi led Government at the Centre has failed to fulfill a single commitment with the people and has brought miseries for the common man due to unprecedented price hike in the country. He described the Coalition
Government as total failure on all fronts and causing unrest and untold miseries to each and every section of the society due to its wrong policies. He said that Congress would continue to play its role of a responsible and vibrant opposition to highlight the failures of the Government and make it accountable to the people of the State.
Sham Lal Sharma lambasted BJP for its total surrender before PDP. He said that PDP & BJP having nothing common in their ideology, have joined hands for the sake of power leaving aside all important commitments with the people of the state. He said that both the coalition partners, especially the BJP has failed to honor the vital commitments for which it secured mandate of Jammu people. He blamed BJP for betraying their electorate as a result the people of each and every section of the society are suffering. He said the achievement of Govt is that the divisive forces have succeeded in vitiating the atmosphere of peace and harmony in the Country.
Raman Bhalla said that two power hungry forces in the state (PDP & BJP) have joined hands for the sake of power leaving aside all important commitments with the people of the state. He said that both the coalition partners have failed to honor the vital commitments for which they secured their respective mandate. Both the coalition partners have betrayed their electorate as a result the people each and every section of the society are suffering and are disappointed over the functioning of this government.
The activists of Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (NPP) led by its chairman, Harsh Dev Singh and president Balwant Singh Mankotia took out massive protest demonstration from Samadhian Ground and after passing through Dogra Chowk, Gumat, Raghunath Bazar they finally culminated their protest march at Dogra Chowk near Press Club of Jammu. Hundreds of party activists from various district assembled near Samadhian Mini Bus Stand and then launched their protest against State Government for its discriminatory attitude towards people of Jammu. They strongly demanded that separate statehood was the only solution to this problem.
The protest march of Panthers activists was also foiled by the strong contingent of police and CRPF near Raghunath Mandir Chowk. The party workers showed resistance and had little scuffle with cops but they were made to move towards Residency Road. Later, after passing through Denis Gate, Vivekananda Chowk and Maharaja Ghulab Singh Marg they reached Dogra Chowk and sat on protest dharna. The movement of vehicles was disrupted for long due to protest demonstration. The traffic was then diverted to other routes by police. After protest there for some time, the party activists dispersed.
Senior party leaders Harsh Dev Singh, BS Mankotia, Yash Pal Kundal, Anita Thakur, Bansi Lal, Manju Singh, Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Partap Singh and others addressed the gathering and strongly criticized BJP leadership of Jammu for its failure to provide justice to the people of this region who gave them massive mandate. They strongly supported the Jammu bandh and condemned the stance of some local bodies for their shady role during Jammu bandh today. They described them Jai Chands of Jammu.
Prof Bhim Singh, chief patron of the party, congratulated the NPP leadership for the historic Lalkar Rally and appealed the people of J&K to support Panthers Re-organisation movement, which is the only way out to liberate the people of Jammu Pradesh, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh from the suppression.
Meanwhile, MLA Udhampur, Pawan Gupta supported the Jammu Bandh call given by various Trade and Transport Associations. He criticised the Government for not abolishing Toll tax which he termed as illegal and unconstitutional in the wake of the new tax reform of merging all taxes into one tax i.e GST. He said it is high time that various non-political organisations keep mounting pressure on Government, especially the BJP to track it back on the right path for fulfilling the aspirations of Jammuites.
Yuva Rajput Sabha held a protest against the PDP-BJP Government on the opening day of Civil Secretariat in the winter capital here. Despite large police contingent being deployed at Indira Chowk, a large number of members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha under the leadership of its president Rajveer Singh shouted slogans against BJP Government and showed their displeasure especially for the MLAs of Jammu province. The Sabha blamed Government for hatching a conspiracy to suppress the demand of declaration of September 23 as Gazetted holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh.
Team Jammu asserted that fight for the rights of youth of Jammu would be taken to the logical conclusion. Interacting with media persons at Tawi bridge hile protesting against State Government, chairman of Team Jammu, Zorawar Singh Jamwal said that today’s successful bandh is a warning for the State Government in general and BJP in particular because large number of youth came out on streets to lodge protest against discriminatory policies of this dispensation.
Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha J&K also supported the Jammu Bandh call. In a meeting, Narayan Singh, president of the Sabha demanded declaration of Gazetted holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh falling on September 23 every year and withdrawal of Toll Tax at Lakhanpur. Singh hoped that the State Government without wasting time will concede all demands immediately rather than compelling the Jammuites to come on streets and roads.
In support of Jammu bandh, JJSF boycotted classes in all colleges of Jammu and took out protest rally from Canal Road to Tawi bridge. The students from GGM Science College, SPMR College of Commerce and GDC Paloura gathered at Shaheedi Sthal, Canal Road from where they marched towards Tawi bridge shouting slogans against BJP-PDP Government. The protest rally was led by Atul Sudan, State vice president JJSF and Vikram Singh Provincial president JJSF.
Jammu West Assembly Movement held protest to extend support to Jammu bandh call. While speaking, Sunil Dimple, president of the Movement demanded resignation of Chief Minister as the present Government in the State has failed to address the issues related to Jammu Province including abolishing of Toll tax at Lakhanpur, declaration of Gazetted holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, etc.
The office bearers of All India Confederation of SC, ST and OBC Organisations from all the districts, tehsils and blocks held a protest at Maheshpura Chowk to project their demands including restoration of reservation in promotion, promulgating an ordinance to incorporate the provisions of reservation in promotion with retrospective effect to negate the judgment passed by the High Court, reincorporation of provisions in Reservation Act and rules there under for providing reservation in promotions by way of amendment in the said Act, clearing backlog of vacancies, share in adhoc and contractual daily wager appointments, scholarship for SC, ST and OBC students, implementation of 27 per cent reservation for OBC’s, dilution of ST status, State budgetary allocation for special component plan, providing shelter homes, providing equal opportunities to SC, ST and OBC in the matter of posting and transfers, etc.
A secretariat gherao rally was organised by All J&K SRTC Volunteer Retired Employees Association under the leadership of its President Dev Raj Bali. While speaking Bali projected demands including 6th Pay Commission arrears from January 1, 2006, COLA arrears pending since 1999 and pension benefits.
Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Youth held protest and marched to civil secretariat to highlight their demands including implementation of Forest Right Act 2006, reservation in promotion, backlog posts of ST and SC to be introduced and inclusion of Gojri language in the 8th Schedule. The protest was led by Nazakat Khatana, State president, of the organization. Their march was also foiled by police.
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