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| Jammu bandh: success or a flop show.....? | | Shutdown in city, lukewarm response in other areas, Over 100 workers of BJP arrested for violating orders | | KUNAL SHRIVATSA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 8: Despite its hard efforts, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) sponsored Jammu bandh failed to evoke an overwhelming response from the masses in most parts of the Jammu region. However, here in the winter capital of the state the party did manage to get people's considerable support as the city observed a near total shut down.
The Jammu bandh call was given by the main opposition BJP viz a viz supported by several other political and non-political organizations including Bar Association Jammu, Chamber of Commerce and Industry besides other traders' bodies and transporters in protest against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's remarks on Accession of the state with the Union of India and step-motherly treatment meted out to Jammuites.
Jammu city and its adjoining areas observed by and large a peaceful bandh, except a minor clash between police and BJP activists at Dogra Chowk where hundreds of BJP activists, including women, courted arrested.
Led by senior leaders comprising State President Shamsher Singh Manhas, Leader of Legislature Party Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, National Executive Members Dr Nirmal Singh Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Sukhnandan Choudhary besides several others assembled at Dogra Chowk to stage a demonstration.
Holding black flags, the BJP workers raised 'anti-Omar' slogans, terming him and the separatists as 'two sides of the same coin'.
'Abdullah should either tender an apology for his unconstitutional remarks on J&K's accession with India or demit the office of Chief Minister as he is openly toeing the line of extremists in the Valley,'' the BJP leaders alleged while addressing party workers.
The BJP workers said that today's protest is against the 'anti-constitutional' and 'anti-national' statements of Omar Abdullah over the issue of accession of J&K with Indian Union as also the 'discrimination' with the Jammu province.
Later, when the BJP workers tried to take out a protest march towards Civil Secretariat, where the move offices had to re-commence their functioning on the first day of opening of Darbar here in the winter capital city, the heavy police contingent including lady cops deployed there restricted the protesters' further advancement.
Over 100 BJP workers were arrested by the police and shifted to District Police Lines, said police sources.
Similarly, State Vice president Chander Prakash Ganga led hundreds of protest demonstrators, who were arrested at Bari Brahmana.
Party MLA Bharat Bhushan was arrested at Janipur along with other party activists while he was proceeding towards city to join the state leaders.
At Chinore, BJP activists led by District President Suraj Padha were arrested.
BJP Kissan Morcha President Karan Singh, alongwith Ex-corporators Omi Khajuria and Sheela Handoo were also arrested there. At Jourian, Daljeet Singh along with other activists were arrested by police.
At Pouni Chak, party activists of Marh Constituency were arrested while they too were proceeding towards Dogra Chowk.
BJP MLAs Sham Choudhary and Prof Gharu Ram led the party activists at RS Pura where massive protests were held and complete shut down observed in RS Pura and Suchetgarh.
The BJP's bandh call had its impact only in Jammu city, its adjoining areas and parts of Kathua district where the party has strong foothold but the other major towns and cities of the province almost rejected the saffron brigade's appeal.
Barring Kathua all other major towns of Jammu region including Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Katra, Pouni, Dharmari, Mahore, Arnas, Billawar, Ram Nagar and Chenani gave a luke warm response to the bandh call since the markets remain open there throughout the day and the business was as usual like any other normal day.
A complete bandh, however, was observed in Kathua under the leadership of District President Chaggar Singh, where massive protests were also held. Educational institutions and banks also remained closed there through out the day.
Hira Nagar and Ghagwal also witnessed complete bandh. The party activists under the leadership of MLA Durga Dass held protest demonstrations.
Udhampur also observed a total shut down as claimed by BJP's press release but in reality it was 'official' rather than a BJP's influence which forced the closure of shops and business establishments. The party activists held protest demonstrations under the leadership of Som Raj Khajuria, Pawan Gupta and Dina Nath Bhagat.
"The markets remain close on Mondays on account of mandatory weekly closures but the BJP wants to take credit of the complete bandh which is unrealistic in a sense. BJP activists throughout the day roamed about in the city on motorbikes and light motor vehicles urging the people to observe bandh which is like living in a fool's paradise. " said a local media person on condition of anonymity
Bani and Basohli also witnessed a near total bandh where protesters led by MLAs Master Lal Chand and Jagdish Raj Sapolia respectively held demonstrations.
The day long bandh, meanwhile, brought a lot of hardships for common public particularly travellers including the Vaishno Devi pilgrims,who had to commute from here to Katra, the base camp of holy cave shrine but due to non-availability of public transportation they were nowhere to go.
"I had to visit Kathua for an urgent official assignment but could not go there as the public transport was off the roads due to bandh. The bandh ruined my day. " said Rajinder Sharma, a Medical Representative.
With shops, banks and other business establishments also remaining close, the people had to face a tough time. However, for the school children and college students the bandh was a merry time as all the educational institutions, private as well as government, remain closed for the day. |
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