Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 1: The indefinite strike by jewellers completed one month today.
They warned to discontinue their support to the Saffron and other political parties in future, if they failed to take up the jewellers issue with Central Ministry at the earliest.
The Jewellers all over India are observing complete Bandh since March 2 against the imposition of excise duty on non-silver jewellery.
Amid sloganeering and carrying placards hundreds of jewellers, swarnkars, karigars and artisans assembled at Jain Bazar here and held protest.
They alleged that due to the ongoing strike they are starving and blamed Union Ministry for it.
They expressed their anger through various means–by shouting slogans against the Union Ministry, Union Finance Minister and Prime Minister, by tearing off their clothes, by protest and now by blocking roads.
Later, the protestors took out a rally, which started from Jain Bazaar and after passing through Chowk Chabutra, Pacca Danga, Raj Tilak Road, Purani Mandi and Link Road culminated at the staring point.
Addressing the rally at Purani Mandi Chowk, Raman Suri, Chairman, Sarafa Association and Swarnkar Sangh Joint Action Committee, Jammu Province resentfully said that, “The anger of the protestors is clearly visible in this rally and all this is only due to the wrong deeds of the Government including imposition of taxes, which has resulted into exploitation of the law-abiding citizens of the country. All these acts of the Government are highly condemnable”.
He added, “As the urban and local bodies elections are approaching, the majority of jewellers will not support the power-greedy people, who are not standing with us in this hour of need”.
Raj Kumar Babbar, All India Vice President Swarnkar Sangh and President Swarnkar Sangh, Jammu Province appealed to all swarkars of Jammu Province to attend the mega rally at Jantar Mantar New Delhi, organized by Bahadur Singh Verma, President, All India Swarnkar Sangh on April 4.
Parjan Kumar Jain, President Sarafa Association Jammu, Kulbhushan Anand, President Swarnkar Sangh Jammu District, Vijay Verma, General Secretary Sarafa Association Jammu, Ajay Vaid, General Secretary Swarnkar Sangh Jammu District, Surinder Jain, Treasure Sarafa Association Jammu, Ajay Talla, Rakesh Mahajan, CL Puri and Darshan Dhalla, executive members of Sarafa association said, “We strongly condemn the adamancy of the Union Ministry and the Union Ministers for not paying heed towards our demand. At this point, we have decided that if the same condition persists, we will stop supporting the Saffron Party and all other political parties as well in future”.
Meanwhile, Vice President PCC and Former Minister Raman Bhalla, Former Minister and General Secretary PCC Yogesh Sawhney, Chief Spokesperson PCC and Former MLC Ravinder Sharma, General Secretaries PCC Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh and President DCC Jammu (Urban) Anil Chopra extended support to the protesting jewellers.