Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 28: Peeved over the J&K Government showing empty coffers to the families of State martyrs including Army and Police jawans, who had sacrificed their lives while serving the motherland, scores of Panther activists led by NPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh staged a protest demonstration at Exhibition Ground here today.
The angry protesters while inculpating BJP for pseudo nationalism burnt its effigy and sought immediate announcement of ex-gratia policy for the families of the martyrs as a tribute to them like other States.
Expressing serious concern over the humiliation of the martyrs in the State, Harsh Dev Singh revealed that while the martyrs of other States were honoured and adequately paid adequate ex-gratia by the respective State Governments, the Government of J&K most contemptuously refused to pay compensation to the sons of the soil who laid down their lives on the borders or while fighting the militancy.
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Recalling the supreme sacrifice of Havaldar Roshan Lal of Samba who attained supreme sacrifice at Rajouri in Pak shelling on Feb 4 this year, he said the State Govt remained callous towards his family while his colleague Rifleman Ramavatar of Gwalior who also attained martyrdom in the same episode was bestowed ‘Samman Rashi’ (ex-gratia) of Rs.1 crore by the CM of Madhya Pradesh who had immediately visited the brave-heart’s house. Moreover, the MP Government also announced Rs.5000 pension per month to the deceased’s parents (both mother and father), one plot for his wife and raising of statue in memory of the martyr, Harsh added.
Singh further divulged that Kejriwal Govt had announced Rs 1 crore financial assistance to the family of CRPF jawan Narottam Das of Delhi who was martyred in a Maoist attack in Bihar besides a job for his wife. Likewise, CM Arvind Kejriwal again announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of the Excise Deptt Constable Vinod Kumar who was beaten to death by the suspected bootleggers in South Delhi, Harsh said.
Paying rich tributes to martyr Kultar Singh of Gurah Salathia who made the supreme sacrifice, Singh sought an enquiry as to why he was not relieved despite transfer orders further lamenting the failure of Govt to announce requisite ex-gratia for his family. Similar was the fate of the family of Imran Tak of Basantgarh who made the supreme sacrifice for his motherland with the Govt failing to honour its bounden duty to provide ex-gratia to the bereaved family, he regretted.
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