Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Mar 12: While four members of Joint Action Committee (JAC) were injured in a clash at Nowshera during protest rally this afternoon, the townships of Kalakote, Kotranka and Nowshera observed complete bandh in support of public demand today.
While bandh in Nowshera continued on 25th consecutive day today in support of district status, the agitating people of Kalakote held strong protest at tehsil complex and conducted `gherao’ of the officers there. At Kotranka also, people observed bandh against Government decision of rotational ADCs.
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The people of Nowshera town and adjoining areas assembled in the main bazaar in the morning and took out protest march. After passing through various markets during protest march, they reached dharna site in the Tehsil complex. Several locals leaders addressed gathering and launched scathing attack on local leaders / legislators for their dubious role. The people raised slogans against local MLA and MLC besides BJP Ministers besides Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and PDP Minister, Ch Zulfkar Ali.
Eyewitnesses said that the trouble during Nowshera rally started when JAC member Choudhary Chhotu Ram who had resigned from BJP as district level functionary was addressing the gathering at around 2.10 pm. He spoke some unpleasant remarks against the sitting BJP MLA, Ravinder Raina. A few BJP members including one Varinder Kumar (Mangu) stood up snatched the mike and allegedly thrashed the Chhotu Ram. There was scuffle among some members and during the clash four members including Chhotu Ram, Bahadur Lal Ex-Sarpanch Kalsian, Om Parkash of Ganyan and Sukhdev Singh of Nonyal were injured. The injured were shifted to SDH Nowshera where one of them was later referred to GMC Jammu.
A police official said that two counter FIRs No 35/ 2018 and 38/ 2018 have been lodged by both the parties. The investigation has been started.
Later in the evening, an emergency meeting of the JAC members was held where members decided to go ahead with the protest programme and disassociate from the members creating trouble in peaceful agitation.
Kalakote town also observed complete bandh, seeking separate ADC’s posting. Entire market remained closed in the town while vehicles also remained off the road. The Kalakote JAC led by local leaders Randhir Singh, Vijay Suri, Ashok Kumar, Kuldip Kumar, Sardari Lal and others , rising above party lines, took out strong protest march in the town and then moved to the Tehsil complex. They were raising slogans against local BJP and PDP ministers and rejected the Govt formula of rotational ADCs for Kotranka and Kalakote. They also conducted Gherao of the tehsil complex.
At Kotranka town, the people also observed complete bandh. The people took out protest rally during the day in the main market and then sat on dharna. They are also opposing rotational ADC for Kotranka. They demanded that Govt should review its decision and provide permanent ADC for their area.
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