Protest over land grabbing on cremation ground road

Members of Beopar Mandal and locals from Surankote town staging protest against District Administration on Thursday. -Excelsior/ Ramesh Bali
Members of Beopar Mandal and locals from Surankote town staging protest against District Administration on Thursday. -Excelsior/ Ramesh Bali

Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Nov 15: The people from Surankote town today held strong protest demonstration against the land grabbing by some anti-social elements on the road leading to an old cremation ground at Surankote town.
Reports said that on Wednesday when the people of the minority community were going to the old cremation ground (Shamshan Ghat) at the bank of local river with funeral procession, they found that the entire passage had been grabbed and fenced by some anti-social elements. This created strong resentment among the people accompanying the funeral from both the communities. They contacted local administration and even DC Poonch on phone and lodged their strong protest. The police was also informed about the matter. However, the agitated people breached the fence and made way to the Shamshan Ghat and performed last rights of the dead person.
Today, the people from the town including members of Beopar Mandal raised barricades on Rajouri-Poonch highway at main market in Surankote town and started protest demonstration against the District and Sub Divisional Administration. They burnt the old tyres and tubes of the vehicles on the road and shouted loud slogans against DC Poonch.
Bhushan Dutta and Khushdev Verma alleged that District Administration did not pay any heed when they approached yesterday. They alleged that some people from majority community in connivance with the Revenue officials have grabbed the road to the Shamshan Ghat and the Administration must vacate the said land and clear the road from clutches of the land grabbers.
Abdul Ghani and Krishan Lal demanded that action against the concerned Revenue officials should also be taken doe this act. They said not only one community but the members from majority community also joined the protest and also closed their establishments for some time along with other minority members to support their genuine cause.
Later, SDM Surankote Mohd Saleem, SDPO Reyaz Ahmed and local Tehsildar reached the spot and pacified the protesting people. They assured an action in this regard. On the assurance of SDM, the people lifted dharna and suspended their protest demonstration.

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