 Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 31: The Congress party conducted a robust protest dharna to oppose the celebration of UT Divas by the Government and the BJP, declaring it a black day and demanding the early restoration of statehood and state assembly elections.
The protest was led by JKPCC President Shri Vikar Rasool Wani, accompanied by Working President Shri Raman Bhalla, Senior Vice Presidents Th. Balwan Singh and Ravinder Sharma, along with Vice Presidents, General Secretaries, DCC Presidents, frontal wing heads, and senior leaders of DCCs Jammu Urban and Rural. The sit-in dharna at Shaheedi Chowk lasted for over two hours and involved a call for statehood, assembly elections, and the restoration of democracy, including ULB and Panchayat elections.
The protest saw a large number of participants, including women workers carrying placards and raising strong slogans against UT Divas and the BJP Government. They demanded the immediate restoration of statehood and democracy.
Prominent attendees included Vice Presidents Ved Mahajan, Naresh K Gupta, Yash Pal Kundal, Vinod Sharma, Rajnish Sharma (Mian), Pranav Shagotra, General Secretaries Mohinder Bhardwaj, Pawan Raina, Shashi Sharma, T.S. Tony, Naresh Sharma, Narinder Gupta, Amrit Bali, Shakeel Shah, S. Gurmit Singh, Narinder Sharma, Balbir Singh, Shakeel Mir, Subash Bhagat, Satish Sharma, Thomas Khokhar, DCC Presidents Th. Manmohan Singh (Jammu Urban), Shamsher Chib (Jammu Rural), Sanjeev Sharma (Samba), Pankaj Dogra (Kathua), Vinod Khajuria (Udhampur), Akash Bharat (PYC), Shameema Raina (Mahila), Vijay Sharma (Seva Dal), Ajay Lakhotra (NSUI), Karan Bhagat (SC), Madan Chalotra (OBC), Krishan Bhagat (Ex-MLA), and others.
JKPCC Chief Vikar Rasool Wani strongly criticized the BJP-led Central Government and UT administration for celebrating UT Divas, stating that it adds insult to the injuries of all the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He called the promise of restoring statehood on the floor of parliament another BJP government jumla (empty promise), as the celebration of UT Divas on this day for the first time suggests that the BJP Government has no intention of returning statehood to J&K. Wani announced that the Congress would launch a struggle and take it to the block levels to fight for the restoration of statehood and the holding of assembly elections, ULB, and Panchayat elections.
Working President Raman Bhalla demanded that the BJP explain why it is celebrating UT Divas after four years and where the promise of restoring statehood is.
He emphasized that the historical Dogra state was downgraded into a UT against the wishes of the people of J&K and questioned the BJP about the delay in restoring statehood after four years.
Bhalla also stated that people would hold BJP accountable for this betrayal, as well as for rampant unemployment, rising prices, and taxes.
Th. Balwan Singh, Sr. Vice President, criticized the BJP for downgrading the Dogra state into a UT, stating that the celebration of UT Divas adds insult to the people. He demanded the immediate restoration of statehood and early elections.
Ravinder Sharma regarded the UT Divas celebration as a gift from the BJP to the people after four years. He noted that the people would teach BJP a lesson, but the Centre was deferring all elections, including assembly, ULB, and Panchayats. |
