* BJP will project holiday issue in Cabinet: Nirmal
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 23: Entire Jammu, irrespective of political or religious affiliations today stood united to celebrate the 122nd Birthday of last Dogra ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh and paid floral tributes to Late Maharaja and took out massive rallies to lodge their strong protest against State Government for not declaring State Holiday this day while angry youth heckled the DyChief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh at the main venue near Tawi bridge during function and made him to flee leaving his speech half way.
It was only due to the heavy police deployment and his personal security staff that Deputy Chief Minister could be escorted up to his bullet proof vehicle and could be saved from the wrath of angry Jammu public amidst hurling of abuses and few pushes by them.
Scores of political, social, political, trade, transport, trade, youth and students organizations including Jammu High Court Bar Association, State Gurdwara Parbandhak Board, DGPC Jammu, Rajput, Brahman, Mahajan, Guru Ravi Dass Sabhas, National Conference, Congress, Panthers Party, Shiv Sena, Dogra Kanti Dal, VHP, Bajrang Dal and various other bodies came on single platform and celebrated the Birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh. They also took out various rallies which were started from different places but culminated at the main venue near the Statue of Maharaja Hari Singh just closer to Main Tawi bridge. Jammu lawyers struck work and joined the protest rally and the main function.
The members of Youth Rajput Sabha led by Rajveer Singh took out from Ban Talab Jammu and after finally culminated at main venue after passing through various city markets. The Youth Rajput Sabha members were wearing Kesri turbans and displayed swords during scooter-bike rally in the city. The entire city markets and main chowks were decorated and the city witnessed the festive look.
Amar Kashatrya Rajput Sabha members led by its president Narayan Singh, Dogra Brahman Paratinidhi Sabha led by president VP Sharma, DGPC members, about a dozen traders bodies including Chamber of Traders Federation, High Court Bar Association, Chamber of Traders Federation, Jammu Province Peoples Forum, Mahajan Sabha, Srara Sabha, Balmiki Sabha, Panun Kashmir, Team Jammu, Traders Associations, students, lawyers and many others took out rally from Kachi Chawani, Parade and some other locations and after passing through various Bazars assembled at Tawi bridge. A large number of people in general also joined them.
The leaders were garlanded and were mounted on the decorated vehicles during rallies. They were followed by bikers and also public moving on-foot. They were raising slogans in praise of Maharaja and against the BJP leaders and minister besides PDP and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Rajput Sabha also performed Hawan Yagya at Raj Tilak Bhawan and in connection with the Birthday celebrations of great Maharaja. Central Mahajan Sabha also organised a function at Mahajan Hall where floral tributes were paid by the president Romesh Chander Gupta and others. Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Amar Nath Gupta, Yash Paul Gupta, C M Gupta and others also paid tributes.
Several noted Jammu leaders/ personalities, irrespective of their political affiliation including Sham Lal Sharma, R S Chib, Devinder Singh Rana, RS Pathania, Ajay Sadhotra, Prof Bhim Singh, DSS president and former minister Gulchain Singh Charak, former minister Th Randhir Singh, Hash Dev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia, T S Wazir, Ajatshatru Singh, Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal, B S Slathia, Vikram Malhotra, Vikramaditya Singh, Zorawar Singh Jamwal, Mahant Rameshwar Dass, heads of BHP, Sanatan Dharam Sabnha, Bajrang Dal and many others joined to pay tributes to late Maharaja. All the participating leaders during their address projected the social reforms brought in the society and described him as most secular Hindu king of the united J&K State. They strongly demanded that State public holiday be announced on the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh. The participants criticised the PDP-BJP Government for failing to declare September 23 as a public holiday in the state.
At the venue where all had been assembled to pay tributes to late Maharaja, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh was forced to cut short his speech and flee. He was virtually heckled and had to face anti-BJP and anti-Govt BJP slogans.
Dr Nirmal Singh later told the Excelsior that at the venue near Tawi bridge he was also invited to the function and he was honoured by offering turban by a priest and he offered prayers and paid tributes to Maharaja. As he was addressing gathering, some miscreants as per their plan created disturbance. He said some NC and Congress leaders were also there. The people must realize that NC and Congress ruled in the State for about 70 years, why they failed to declare holiday and project this issue. They were responsible for the exile of Maharaja and killing of Shayma Parsad Mukherjee. Let the NC chief Dr Farooq or Omar Abdullah come openly with a demand to declare holiday on Maharaja’s birthday.
Dr Singh said he had taken up the issue with the coalition partner verbally and also wrote letter to the Chief Minister. The issue is important for BJP and their ministers will project this issue strongly in the Cabinet.
Meanwhile, the issue has been gaining traction in the State for some time. A resolution was adopted in the State Legislative Council in January this year to declare the day a public holiday. But there apparently is no agreement between the two ruling parties.
Lawyers, affiliated to the Jammu Bar Association led by B S Slathia stayed away from work and instead organised a programme within the Association’s premises to celebrate the contribution of the Maharaja, under whom the historic instrument of accession of the State with the Indian Union was signed in 1947.
Maharaja’s grandson and PDP MLC Vikramaditya Singh said the demand for public holiday will continue as the issue is linked to the “sentiment” of people in the Jammu region.
“Maharaja was a great leader and the entire Jammu region is united in its demand for a holiday to mark the birth anniversary of their beloved king,” Singh told reporters.
Singh said it was time the sentiment of the people of the Jammu region was recognised.
The BJP had backed the January resolution, but opposition National Conference had walked out from the Council then.
Several groups of youth, some armed with swords and licensed guns, rallied through the city on motorcycles and four wheelers, raising slogans against the State Government.
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chief and former minister Harsh Dev Singh asked his grandsons – Ajatshatru and Vikramaditya – to resign from their respective political parties in protest against the State Government’s “contemptuous denial” to declare the day as a public holiday.
He said the “criminal silence” of the BJP ministers on the issue has exposed the ruling alliance.
Dr Nirmal Singh was infact, heckled by Dogra youth over the State Government’s “failure” to declare Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary as a state holiday.
He was speaking at a function near Tawi bridge after paying floral tributes to Maharaja, on his birth anniversary today.
Thousands of people, including youths wearing black T-shirts and carrying saffron flags, raised slogans against Singh and the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir. The protesters ‘gheroed’ Singh and some of them heckled him.
The protesters also demanded the minister’s resignation and accused the BJP of doing “dis-service” to the Jammu region.
Similar functions were held at Kathua, Reasi, Samba, Udhampur, Rajouri, Doda, Ramban R S Pura, Akhnoor, Vijaypur and many other places.
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