Congress protest march to Raj Bhawan foiled

Jammu, July 18: Police Thursday foiled Congress’ march to Raj Bhawan, as a part of its proposed agitation against rise in terror incidents, change in J&K Business Rules besides its demand for restoration of statehood ahead of assembly polls.

As per party’s announced programme, Congress workers, led by AICC in-charge J&K affairs Bharatsinh Solanki, JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani, AICC secretary Manoj Yadav, JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla and other senior leaders, this morning began its planned march to Raj Bhawan from Congress office at Shaheedi Chowk, raising slogans.

However, a strong posse of police personnel deployed there did not allow them to move beyond Raghunath temple Chowk. As police personnel tried to stop Congress march at Shaheedi Chowk, they entered into a scuffle with party leaders and workers who managed to break the cordon and reach Raghunath temple Chowk.

However, police finally stopped them at Raghunath temple Chowk where the Congress leaders and workers staged a sit-in protest for around one hour or so, before being taken into custody. Solanki, Vikar Rasool, Manoj Yadav, Bhalla and other senior leaders including ex-MP Chowdhary Lal Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Mula Ram, Balwan Singh, Yogesh Sawhney were detained by police and taken to DPL Jammu. Later, they were released.

Party leaders, however, alleged that the police used force at several places to block the march. “Some leaders and workers received injuries including vice president PCC Vinod Sharma,” party alleged. Besides senior leaders of PCC, DCCs, frontal wings, workers including women from different areas, blocks and districts of Jammu province took part in the protest.

Talking to media persons during the protest Solanki alleged that the Modi led BJP government utterly failed to control terrorism, especially in Jammu region which was peaceful earlier. “Terrorism has risen to great extent in Jammu. Our soldiers are getting martyred while the government says normalcy has been restored,” he alleged.

Criticising the recent amendment in J&K Business Rules, Solanki said, “BJP wants to run the government through backdoor from Delhi even after assembly elections. That is why they passed a dictatorial order of snatching powers from the elected government before elections. This is against democratic principles. Restoration of statehood is the only option to restore democratic powers to the people of J&K.”

JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani, while speaking to media, said, “In 2019, they reduced the historical J&K state with a special status into a Union Territory with the promise to return us statehood after eliminating terrorism and bringing peace in J&K. However, they could not improve the situation. Rather, their wrong policies revived terrorism in Jammu region also, where prior to 2014, during the Congress regime, it was almost finished. We have lost over 48 soldiers in the last three years in Jammu. In fact they have created an emergency-like situation in J&K for the last seven years.”

“Against their will, under compulsion in the wake of Supreme Court direction to complete the process of assembly elections by September 30, they are going to hold assembly elections. Yet fearing their defeat in assembly, they’ve amended J&K Business Rules with the objective to curtail administrative and financial powers of any democratically elected non-BJP government, which will come to power after elections,” he added.

“On these two issues i.e., rise in terrorism and return of statehood, Congress leaders and workers are on road today. We want our state back in its original status,” Vikar stated.

Bhalla also criticised the central government and UT administration for the “worsening situation in Jammu region- a cause of concern for the nation.” “The sacrifices of our soldiers are intolerable and the Modi government should strengthen the security grid,” he demanded.

He also demanded restoration of statehood immediately and full powers to the government to solve hardships being faced by people.