Cong flays police action
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, July 21: A massive protest demonstration was held at Gateway of J&K Lakhanpur near here, today against the installation of Toll Plaza by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) by activists of various opposition parties including Congress, National Conference (NC), National Panthers Party (NPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Youth Federation (YF) Kathua and other social organisations.
The protestors with placards in their hands raised slogans against Central Government led by BJP. The activists and leaders of these parties assembled at Lakhanpur soon after newly installed Toll Plaza started functioning this morning and started their march towards Toll Plaza site but the police foiled their attempt and pushed them back. As a heavy deployment was made at toll Plaza it did not allow the protestors to create any scene.
The police detained more than 100 protestors and dispersed them. While addressing protestors senior Congress leaders Subash Gupta, Nirdosh Sharma, Girdhari Lal, , Panther Party, leader Robin Sharma, Youth Federation, leader Sunny Kumar criticized the BJP Government for installing the Toll Plaza at every nook and corner of Jammu province. They said that the people are already under the burden of price hike and Toll Tax has put additional burden on the common man who is already facing crisis due to COVID-19 and Tourism Sector has also been hit worst. They said that the BJP has failed on all fronts and Jammu people are being harassed in one way or the other by the Government. They alleged that the discrimination with Jammu people has become their fate. Now Jammu has three Toll Plazas and fourth is also being installed at Akhnoor. But the Kashmir has only one Toll Plaza. Now the people are fed of BJP’s fake promises of justice and development, they added. They warned the Government to immediately stop the exercise of Toll Plaza at Lakhanpur otherwise mass scale agitation would be launched.
The Congress activists also held a protest at Udhampur against the installation of Toll Plaza at Lakhanpur under the leadership of Sumeet Magotra and demanded its immediate removal.
Meanwhile Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has strongly condemned the arrest of the party leaders and others protesting against the imposition of Toll Tax at Lakhanpur today and termed it BJP policy to suppress the voice of those opposing the anti people moves of Modi Government.
The party said the senior Congress leaders of Kathua district including former legislators Girdhari Lal Chalotra, Subash Gupta, Pankaj Dogra, Anuradha Andotra, Nirdosh Sharma along with large number of Congress workers today held a strong protest demonstration at Lakhanpur opposing the imposition of Toll Tax from today.
Chief spokesperson of JKPCC, Ravinder Sharma said that hundreds of protesting Congress leaders and workers were subjected to lathicharge and arrested by the heavy contingent of police at Lakhanpur. They were taken to police custody and shifted to District Police Lines (DPL) Kathua.
Condemning their arrest, senior leader of Congress termed it as illegal and unjustified and said that the UT administration is acting at the behest of the BJP and suppressing the voice of people who are protesting over the anti people decisions of the Government.
The BJP Government is squeezing the poor and common people by imposing all sorts of taxes in various ways and now installing one after another toll plazas in Jammu region. Those who condemned the police action included former Deputy CM, Tara Chand, former ministers Raman Bhalla, Mula Ram, G M Saroori, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Th Balbir Singh, Rajnish Sharma, S A S Micky, Devinder Singh Bindu, PYC president Udey Chib, Indu Pawar and others.
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