Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 2: The police lathi-charge and teargas shelling on the peaceful protesters in Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi and other parts of the region has evoked strong reaction from various political, social, trade and other organizations besides intellectual class.
J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, seriously condemned the physical assault on Vijay Sharma (President, Reasi Bar Association) and other office bearers and lawyers of Reasi Bar Association on Sunday) while they were carrying out peaceful procession in support of demand of AIIMS.
The J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu further called upon the Administration and the concerned Police authorities to take stern action against the culprits.
Senior National Conference leaders today expressed anguish over excesses committed on peaceful demonstrators in Jammu yesterday and assailed the PDP-BJP coalition for showing scant regard for democratic norms and civilised behaviour.
“It is intriguing that instead of conceding the just demand of the people being projected by the civil society with regard to establishment of a full-fledged AIIMS in Jammu, the Government chose to crack down on them by using excessive force”, the leaders said in a joint statement.
Prominent among the signatories to the joint statement included State vice president Rattan Lal Gupta, Th Kashmira Singh, Chairman SC/BC Wing Babu Rampal, Provincial vice presidents Brij Mohan Sharma, Jugal Mahajan, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Anil Dhar and others.
Senior NC leader and Dy Chairman of State Legislative Council Javed Rana also condemned police lathi-charge on peaceful protesters during Jammu bandh on Saturday. He alleged that BJP was trying to divert the attention of the people and trying to befool the people of Jammu region on AIIMS announcement. He also offered full support to the AIIMS CC for Jammu bandh.
Dogra Sadar Sabha, J&K in an emergent meeting held today under the chairmanship of Gulchain Singh Charak, former Minister and president of the Sabha condemned the police action against the AIIMS Co-ordination Committee members and other protesters who were lathi-charged and subjected to other repressive measures. Strongly defending the demand of separate full-fledged AIIMS for Jammu, the DSS members pledged to extend whole-hearted support for this noble cause and appealed the people of Jammu region to come on the common platform to get the due justice.
Capt Harshvardhan Sharma, OP Saini, Madan Lal Bhagat, Ghani Sham Singh, Waryam Chand, Master Balwant Saini, Gurbachan Singh, Prem Saini, Gurnam Singh, S. K. Digra, Rakesh Dogra, Mehar Singh and others attended the meeting.
An emergency meeting of Action Committee for Chenab Valley Hill Development Council was held under the chairmanship of Sheikh Abdul Rehman (Ex- MP) here today. The members condemned the lathi-charge on peaceful procession of Co-ordination Committee for AIIMS for Jammu. Mr Rehman said that State has no constitutional powers to suppress democratic voice of people by use of force and described violence against members of Jammu Bar Association as most brutal, unfortunate and act of State terrorism.
Pradesh Congress today alleged that BJP is befooling the people of the State on the name of providing AIIMS like facility in twin capitals of the State and called it an yet another “humiliation” for the common man.
Calling the situation as an “aggrieved one”, Salman Nizami, organising and media publicity secretary of PCC said BJP leadership should know that the two Medical Colleges of the State have been already upgraded on the pattern of AIIMS by the previous Government, the need of the hour is to establish independent AIIMS with all the medicare facilities.
He said earlier, there was only one hospital which was upgraded on the pattern of AIIMS that is GMC Jammu later named as (Super Specialty Hospital). Ghulam Nabi Azad soon after becoming CM, got another Super Specialty Hospital sanctioned for GMC Srinagar in PMSSY Phase-II. He further alleged that the BJP has miserably failed both in State as well as in Centre.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, Janak Raj Gupta former MP, Jugal Kishore Sharma-MLC, Th Hari Singh, former minister R S Chib, Arvinder Singh Micky- former Dy Chairman LC, Ashok Sharma, Ex-MLA, Jagdish Sapolia Ex- MLA, Amolak Singh, Chuni Lal Bhatt, Brij Mohan Sharma, Geeta Devi, Shakeel Shah, Gurdarshan Singh, M L Kashyap, Arun Sharma, Master Tassadaq Hussain, and ZA Mumtaz have questioned the presence of any Government in the state.
While strongly condemning the role of BJP for playing fraud with the people of Jammu for establishment of full-fledged AIIMS, the Congress leaders raised serious questions on the role of the Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed for maintaining a deafening silence over this genuine demand. They said Nirmal Singh Dy Chief Minister has no locus stand but it is the joint responsibility of both the coalition partners to address this issue in the interest of the people of Jammu.
The Congress leaders said that the statement made by the Union Health Ministry that ” Jammu will be provided with AIIMS like facilities” is nothing but an efforts on the part of BJP to cover up its failure and false promises made to the people of Jammu during elections. The use of Govt machinery especially the police to suppress the voice of people of Jammu, which have been genuinely raised by the ACC, speaks volumes about the frustration of the State Govt in general and BJP in particular. The leaders strongly condemned the use of brutal force against the peaceful protesters.
District Congress Committee, Doda has extended full support to the agitating lawyers and members of AIIMS Coordination Committee for the establishment of full fledged AIIMS at Jammu.
The DCC leaders Naresh Gupta-MLC and formers ministers G M Saroori and Abdul Majid Wani in a joint statement condemned the police lathi-charge on the peaceful processions taken out by CC and others in Jammu besides some other places.
National Democratic Party in an emergency meeting held here today, under the leadership of its president, Ravi Bakshi also condemned the use of brutal police force on the peacefully protesting people of Jammu for their demand of AIIMS. The speakers during meeting unanimously resolved to fully support AIIMS Coordination Committee and join them shoulder to shoulder in any protest rally for taking this struggle to a logical conclusion. Mr Bakshi appealed the people of Jammu to get ready for any sacrifice and do not fall prey to deceitful and dirty politics of BJP leaders as they stood fully exposed now on all the fronts. Senior members N K Atri (adv), Sanjay Kakkar (adv), SC Sharma, Ravinder Singh, RK Gupta and others attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Regional secretary of CPI(M) Jammu Sham Prasad Kesar strongly condemned brutal lathi- charge and firing of tear gas shells to crush and sabotage the peaceful agitation of the people for independent AIIMS for Jammu.
Mr Kesar demanded two AIIMS for J&K on the pattern of Bihar due to topographical conditions of the State. He said the Government of India has already established two Central Universities in the State due to sensitivities involves in the case and it should consider this case on the same pattern.
Sikh United Front also strongly condemned the use of brutal force against the peaceful protesters/AIIMS CC members who were demanding setting up of AIIMS in Jammu. The Front leaders Avtar Singh Khalsa, Ramnik Singh, Mohinder Singh and others also held protest near Digiana Ashram and declared full support to AIIMS CC for Jammu bandh.
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