Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 30: On the twenty-ninth day of their continuous indefinite strike, hundreds of jewellers blocked the vehicular movement at Panjtirthi Check Point Chowk near Governor House and also protested half-naked to express their resentment over proposed one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery.
Amid slogans, large number of jewellers, swarnkars, karigars and artisans assembled at Jain Bazaar and took out a protest rally.
The protesters assembled at Panjtirthi Check Point Chowk near Governor House and blocked the vehicular movement.
Alleging step-motherly treatment by the Central Government, the protestors took out their shirts and later walked back to the protesting site at Jain Bazaar.
Addressing the gathering, Raman Suri, Chairman, Sarafa Association and Swarnkar Sangh Joint Action Committee, Jammu Province said that due to adamant behaviour of the Central Government over excise duty, the jewellers took this harsh step of blocking the vehicular movement.
“We are already paying huge taxes by means of Customs, VAT and Income Tax, but this excise duty decision is condemnable”, he maintained.
He added that for the last 29 days, the jewellers are on indefinite strike due to which they are facing losses. “If the Central Government failed to revoke the decision, the goldsmiths’ occupation will be in jeopardy”, he stated.
“We are not against Central Government, but we are against the anti-jewellers decision initiated by them in the shape of imposing one per cent excise duty on gold jewellery”, Suri said and urged Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to immediately roll back the decision so that the respect, which the jewellers have for him will remain intact.
“We will continue our indefinite strike till our voice is heard and action will be taken in our favour”, Suri warned.
Among others, who addressed the gathering were Parjan Kumar Jain, President Sarafa Association Jammu, Raj Kumar Babbar, All India Vice President Swarnkar Sangh and President Swarnkar Sangh, Jammu Province, Kulbhushan Anand, President Swarnkar Sangh Jammu District, Vijay Verma, General Secretary Sarafa Association Jammu, Ajay Vaid, General Secretary Swarnkar Sangh Jammu District, Sanjay Jain, Ajay Talla, CL Khajuria, CL Puri, Vijay Saraf, Darshan Dhalla and Rakesh Mahajan, Executive Members of Sarafa Association.
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