PDP activists hold State- wide protest against Govt

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 21: At least half a dozen agitating workers were injured in police lathi-charge, after leaders and activists of PDP held massive protest demonstration near Press Club and tried to take out protest rally towards Raj Bhawan as a part of their State-wide protest programme at all the district headquarters against ruling coalition today.
A large number of PDP activists led by senior leaders Rangil Singh, T S Bajwa, Ved Mahajan, Dillawar Mir, Th Balbir Singh, Ashok Jogi, Fallail Singh, Surjit Kour, Jagjit Singh and others assembled at Press Club and held protest demonstration. They raised slogans against Omar led Coalition Government and strongly condemned it for its failure to provide essential services to the public.
Carrying banners and placards, the PDP activists then moved towards Raj Bhawan via Gumat and Indira Chowk. As they reached Lower Gumat a strong police contingent stopped them by raising barricades and did not allow them to move ahead. The workers resisted the police action. The cops then resorted to lathi-charge on agitating workers. About half of dozen workers were injured in police action. Then they moved towards Tawi bridge but police sensing road blockade, arrested some of the party workers and shifted them DPL. Later, all of them were released.
The senior party leaders strongly condemned the police action and said that Government was trying to gag the voice of opposition to hide its misdeeds.
Meanwhile, the party workers took out protest rally in Samba under the leadership of Hussain Ali Wafa and Pawandev Singh. The party workers held protest at DC office and then took out rally towards Samba town. They raised anti-Government slogans and also blocked National Highway for about 20 minutes. They burnt effigy of Omar Government and raised slogans against it.
Senior party leader Sartaz Madni led the protest demonstration at Ramban while Yash Paul Sharma, Imtiaz Bandey and Shah Mohd Tantray at Poonch town. The party workers in Poonch raised anti administration and anti-Government slogans. They alleged that Government has failed to provide water and power to the people besides restoration of communication services even after four days. They alleged that there was severe scarcity of LPG, kerosene oil, food items and medicines but no Minister or any top bureaucrat has bothered to visit the area and review situation.
In Rajouri town, the PDP protest was led by Abdul Qayoom Dar and Bharat Bhushan Gupta. Former Minister Peer Mohd Hussain was leading protest in Reasi, former Chairman Legislative Council Ghulam Nabi Lone in Kathua and Sayed Asgar Ali at Kishtwar.
Senior bureaucrat turned politician, Mehboob Iqbal led protest at Doda town whereas, senior party leader Daman Bhasin at Udhampur. Mr Iqbal was accompanied by Sheikh Mujib, Saleem Javed Magray, Riaz Hussain and Zaffar Ullah.