Nowshera youth attempts self immolation, bandh enters 34th day

Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Mar 21:  A youth attempted self immolation by pouring kerosene oil on his body this afternoon while Nowshera and Kalakote towns continued complete bandh in support of their demand of posting of Additional Deputy Commissioners.
In Kalakote town, the people also took out candle light march late last evening while former MLAs Thakur Rashpal Singh (NC) and Ashok Sharma from Congress also joined protest during the day today.
Indefinite bandh in Nowshera town continued on 34th  consecutive day today.   Joint Action Committee members  at Nowshera including  Beopar Mandal, Bar Association, Sanatan Dharam Sabha members led by  Subhash Kapoor (president Beopar Mandal), Ravikant  and  others took out strong protest rally in the town during the day. Students of local Govt Degree College and  Higher Secondary Schools  also  joined the protest rally.  They were shouting slogans in support of their demand and also against DC Rajouri, SSP and Police besides Chief Minister and BJP Ministers.
Giving details of incident at Nowshera today, sources said that in the morning the cement shop of a local BJP leader Surinder Anand was found opened. A tractor trolley loaded with Saria was parked there and cement was being loaded in it. Some local JAC members including  Rohit Kohli rushed there and there was some exchange of  words between the JAC members and Anand. Some more people gathered there.  The police party led by local SDPO reached there sensing trouble and they asked the people to disperse.  The people told that it was their own matter  and were trying to resolve it.  There was exchange of heated arguments between SDPO and Rohit Kohli as well and later, the police left the place.
Later,  Rohit Kohli reached the  dharna site  and narrated that he was abused and threatened by the SDPO. Kohli said SDPO should be asked to tender apology in the public.  The speeches by several local leaders and protest/ slogans were going on at the site. In between at around, 2.10 pm Rohit Kohli appeared with kerosene oil  container and poured it on his body. He also consumed some of the stuff.  Then  he  tried to snatch match box from a JAC member  who was smoking nearby but he was over powered by others.  Kohli was also raising slogans against police.
Then he was shifted to local Sub District Hospital and later  referred to Govt Medical College Hospital, Jammu. The police has taken cognizance of the matter. MLC Surinder Choudhary , also paid visit to GMC Hospital this evening to know about the health  of  Kohli, who is said to be local PDP leader.
Meanwhile, Kalakote town also continued  indefinite  bandh on 19th  day today,  seeking  separate ADC’s posting there. Entire market remained closed in the town  and the vehicles also remained off the road.  The Kalakote JAC led by  Rashpal Singh (Ex-MLA) and  Ex-MLA  from Congress Ashok Sharma  and  others   staged dharna at Bus Stand.  They have  rejected the Govt formula of rotational ADCs for Kotranka and Kalakote.
Kalakote JAC members led by locals also took out `Mashal Rally’ late last evening which after passing through culminated at dharna site near Bus Stand. The people have refused to go with Kotranka.

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