Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 21: To express its anger and resentment against the re-induction of Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo into Council of Ministers, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today gave a 48 hour Jammu bandh call from tomorrow.
The announcement in this regard was made by Party State president and MLA Nagrota, Jugal Kishore Sharma while addressing a demonstration of BJP activists in front of Raj Bhawan this afternoon when Mr Kitchloo was being administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor N N Vohra.
Meanwhile J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu while expressing its anguish over the interim report of one man Judicial Commission has decided to suspend the work in High Court and subordinate courts on December 23 in protest against it.
The Association, which held its Executive Committee meeting here today under the chairmanship of its president M K Bhardwaj, senior advocate resolved to suspend work on Monday in protest against the interim report of one man Commission regarding communal riots in Kishtwar.
The members took strong exception to the report and appealed the Government to reject it in toto. The Bar strongly impressed upon the Government of India and State Government to strengthen the VDCs in the State without any delay and reject the recommendation of the Commission in this regard.
The meeting was attended by other office bearers of the Bar including its vice president Mrs Sindhu Sharma, general secretary Ranjit Singh Jamwal, joint secretary, Prem N Sadotra, treasurer Gurveer Singh besides senior advocates and members of the Executive.
The BJP protest in front of Raj Bhawan was joined by hundreds of leaders and activists which was led by Jugal Kishore Sharma, its State chief. Expressing his serious concern over the re-induction of Mr Kitchloo in the Ministry, Mr Sharma said it is shame that the Congress-NC coalition instead of taking interest in rehabilitating the victims of Kishtwar violence, was more concerned for the rehabilitation of the NC leader in whose presence the minorities were attacked in Kishtwar town on August 9 this year.
Sharma said after the coalition failed to give justice to the victims of Kishtwar violence, the BJP has now taken the battle in the court of people to seek justice for them. He appealed the people, representatives of traders and transporters to make the 48 hour bandh call of Party a success.
He said the BJP will not tolerate the injustice with the people of Jammu region and alleged that Congress was more responsible for the plight of Kishtwar violence victims’ as it was backing and supporting every “anti Jammu policy of Omar Abdullah Government”.
Raising his fingers over one man Judicial Commission recommendations, BJP Legislative Party leader and MLA Jammu East Ashok Khajuria said that by advocating for striking balance in VDCs the Commission has tried to communalize the VDCs also.
BJP National Executive member and chief spokesperson of its J&K State Unit, Dr Jitendra Singh said that instead of bridging the gap between the two communities the Commission recommendations have widened the communal divide.
Another National Executive member of the Party and former State president, Dr Nirmal Singh said that time has come when Jammuites have to stand up and fight against the discrimination to which the region has been subjected to since 1947.
The senior Party leaders including Bali Bhagat, Chander Mohan Sharma, Kavinder Gupta, Yudhvir Sethi, BJYM state chief, Ravinder Raina, MLAs Sham Choudhary, Ch. Sukhnandan and Senior leader Sat Sharma (CA), Shilpi Verma, and several other Party leaders participated in the protest.
The protestors raising slogans against the coalition Government demanded justice for Kishtwar victims and action against the guilty.
Earlier BJP activists took out a procession from Party Office to Raj Bhawan where Mr Kitchloo was taking oath of office and secrecy. They tried to proceed towards the Raj Bhawan but police scuttled their move by creating barricades in the way. In their bid to break the police cordon the BJP activists jostled with men in Khaki for some time in front of Raj Bhawan.
Another protest was held by Party activists at Janipur Chowk near the residence of Justice Gandhi earlier. The protest was led by BJP leader Praduman Singh. The protestors with banners and flags in their hands objected the recommendations of the Commission for exonerating Mr Kitchloo and termed the report was submitted on the behest of the Government.
They demanded a CBI probe into the role of Mr Kitchloo while rejecting the recommendations of the Commission.
Meanwhile, BJP in Kishtwar observed a bandh today in protest against the recommendations of the Commission and re-induction of Mr Kitchloo in council of ministers. The Party also held a demonstration in the town under the leadership of its State secretary, Sunil Sharma in which the Government was taken to task for re-inducting Mr Kitchloo in the Ministry who was watching a mute spectator the torching of hapless minorities business establishments in the town on August 9.
BJP activists also held protest demonstrations in Kathua, Hiranagar and Dayala Chak against the re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry. The protestors said it is sad that Government instead of rehabilitating hapless victims of August 9 violence has rehabilitated the NC leader by re-inducting him into the Ministry.
Protest demonstrations were also held at Ghagwal and Samba by the Party under the leadership of Rashpal Verma and Kashmira Singh respectively.
BJP activists held a protest demonstration in Seri Bazaar Bhadarwah and torched effigies of Mr Kitchloo. They termed his re-induction in the Ministry totally unfortunate and alleged that the Minister being the in charge of Home Ministry was responsible for attack and killing of minorities in the town as he was present in Kishtwar on that day. BJP leaders Raj Singh Kotwal, Des Raj Katal , Raj Singh Charak, Anand Pal Dogra and others participated in the protest and demanded a CBI probe into Kishtwar violence.
BJP held a demonstration at Dabber Chowk, Udhampur against Congress-NC coalition for re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry. The protest was led by district president Dina Nath Bhagat and party State secretary Pawan Khajuria also addressed it. They warned that re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry will have serious consequences.
Party activists held a demonstration at Dachan Kishtwar under the leadership of its district vice president Thakur Ravi Kumar in which the Commission report was rejected. The protestors also expressed strong resentment against re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also protested against re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry. The Party State president Tulsi Dass Langeh while addressing a meeting of its office bearers here today expressed its dis-satisfaction with Inquiry Commission report and said that this way the minorities’ particularly those living in hilly areas are feeling insecure. He urged the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to respect the sentiments of the people and drop Mr Kitchloo from the Ministry.
Meanwhile, ABVP has also extended full support to 48 hour Jammu bandh the call for which was given by BJP. The national vice president of ABVP Dr Narinder Singh while extending support to bandh expressed his anguish over the recommendations of the Judicial Commission and re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry.
Hindu Raksha Samiti held a meeting here today in which full support was extended to BJP’s 48 hour Jammu bandh. The meeting which was chaired by president of the Samiti Dr Ram Paul appealed the people to make the bandh a total success. He warned the Government of serious consequences for playing with the sentiments of the people.
All Parties Migrant Coordination Committee president Vinod Pandita while extending his full support to Jammu bandh call given by BJP, reiterated the demand for CBI probe into Kishtwar violence. In a statement issued here today Mr Pandita said on the first day of the Kishtwar violence APMCC was the first organization which had demanded the CBI probe into it.
Meanwhile Jammu West Assembly Movement president Sunil Dimple has also given 48 hour separate bandh call against the judicial Commission report and re-induction of Mr Kitchloo into Ministry.
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