Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Nov 7: Some senior Congress functionaries including Mahila Congress leaders sustained minor injuries when the police prevented the Congress leaders and workers to march ahead and resorted to mild lathi charge, to thwart the attempt of the PCC leaders to `Gherao’ Civil Secretariat on the opening day of Darbar move offices in winter capital city here today.
The PCC leadership as a part of its `Secretariat Challo March’ on the opening day of the Darbar in Jammu, took out a march from the Party office Shahidi Chowk Jammu towards Civil Secretariat via Residency Road, Raghunath Bazaar and City Chowk before courting arrest in protest against the failure of the PDP-BJP Coalition Govt on all fronts and the policies of the Centre Govt besides unrest in Kashmir and condition of border people.
Led by PCC president GA Mir, a large number of senior Congress leaders including senior PCC functionaries, MLAs & MLCs, former ministers, district presidents and leaders of frontal organizations took out a strong march from Congress Headquarters, carrying placards and raising slogans. The placards and slogans highlighted the problems and demands of various sections in the state.
As the protesters reached Raghunath Mandir Chowk, a heavy contingent of police laid barricades and prevented the rally from proceeding towards Civil Secretariat via Raghunath Bazaar and City Chowk. The party leaders insisted to proceed further which resulted into minor scuffle and the police resorting to mild lathi- charge resulting into injuries to several party activists including some Mahila leaders.
The protesters, however, succeeded in marching ahead towards City Chowk and Shalamar Chowk before they were taken into custody and detained in Police Lines Gandhi Nagar for several hours. About 200 senior leaders and party workers were taken into custody.
Earlier, addressing the gathering PCC president lashed out at the PDP-BJP Govt for its failure on all fronts and vitiating the atmosphere of peace and harmony in the State due to their wrong policies. He said that the Modi Govt has failed to fulfill a single commitment with the people and has brought miseries for the common man due to unprecedented price hike in the country.
Mir said that border residents are suffering due to ceasefire violations resulting into loss of lives and property forcing people to migrate. The Govt failed to fulfill the commitment for safe shelter to them. The displaced people and refugees of 1947, 65, 71 have been neglected, the farmers are facing great hardships, the unemployed youth and other daily wagers, casual workers besides employees and pensioners are agitating on roads for their genuine demands.
Prominent among those arrested included Sham Lal Sharma, Tara Chand, Madan Lal Sharma, Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla, Rigzin Jora, Kanta Bhan, Ravinder Sharma, Gulzar Wani, Mumtaz Khan, Naresh Gupta, Sham Lal Bhagat; Mohd Sharif Niaz, Dr Manohar Lal, Yogesh Sawhney, Manjit Singh, Raman Matoo, Vikram Malhotra, Shah Mohd, Manmohan Singh, Faqir Nath, Namrata Sharma, Shah Nawaz, Balbir Singh, GL Chalotra, KC Bhagat, Ashok Dogra, Indu Pawar (Mahila Cong); Shiv Kumar Sharma (INTUC), Pranav Shagotra (PYC), BS Sambyal (Seva Dal), Neeraj Kundan (NSUI), Anil Chopra, Subash Gupta, Sain Abdul Rashid, Ashok Gupta, Arun Singh, Amolak Singh, MK Bhardwaj, MA Goni, Maheshwar Singh, Ashok Sharma, HL Pandita, Praveen Sarwar Khan, Thomas Khokher, Neeraj Gupta, HS Chib, Pawan Raina, Manjeet Singh Jatt, Ashok Dubey, Narinder Sharma, Ashwani Puri, Surinder Gupta, Nadim Sharief Niaz, Santosh Sharma, Suman Chaudhary, Sita Devi and many DCC and BCC functionaries.
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