Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 1: Agitated over the callous attitude of the State Government towards the Indian Army for registering FIRs against the officers and the valiant soldiers despite their humiliation by the stone pelters and other anti-nationals in the Valley, Panthers activists led by Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP, staged a strong protest demonstration at Exhibition Ground Jammu today.
The infuriated protesters sought the withdrawal of all charges slapped on the Army and other security personnel in Kashmir. They also burnt the effigy of the BJP and accused the Saffron party of being hand in glove with the PDP to demoralize the brave hearts serving the motherland.
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Addressing the gathering, Harsh Dev Singh expressed shock over the recent FIRs registered against the 10 Garwal unit in Shopian by the State Government for inexplicable reasons. He said that by opening fire at the mad crowd of protesters, the Army did no wrong as the mob comprising hundreds of maniacal saboteurs pelted stones on the convoy and tried to snatch a weapon of a JCO with the intention to lynch him. He regretted that instead of standing beside the Army which retaliated in self defence, the BJP partnered Government despicably slapped FIR on Major Aditya and his unit with the charges of murder, attempt to murder and endangering life of the civilians.
Harsh Dev Singh said that it was utterly shocking to note the BJP leadership making the armed forces defensive and apologetic merely to keep its coalition partner in good humour and its alliance intact. He demanded the withdrawal of all such absurd and frivolous FIRs against the defence personnel and cautioned BJP to quit the Government if it failed to do so. He said that Panthers party would gherao its Ministers if they declined to seek unconditional apology from the Indian Army and other security forces for disparaging them and the nation.
Meanwhile, National Students Union activists also held protest demonstration against PDP- BJP Govt, demands withdrawal of FIR against Army.
While addressing the protest demonstration, NSF chief Dr Vikas Sharma criticized the PDP and BJP parties for moving in diametrically opposite directions with regard to defensive action of Army which had to fire upon the insane stone pelters who were hell bent to lynch the Army officer and snatch his service weapon besides damaging Army vehicles and seriously injuring other soldiers while on duty.
Dr Vikas castigated both State and Centre Governments for joining hands together to demoralize the Army personnel just to appease the separatists and other anti Indian forces operating in the Valley, thus playing with the sentiments of nationalists who are unitedly standing like rock at the back of Indian Army. He vehemently lashed out at the duel standard of State and Centre Governments for releasing thousands of stone pelters from jails few months ago thereby promoting the incidents of stone pelting manifold in the recent past and said that the latest sordid episode in Shopian district of Kashmir must serve as an eye opener for the BJP Government in Delhi.
Calling upon PM Modi to revisit his Kashmir policy in the overall interests of national minded citizens living in J&K State in particular and those in the country in general so that peaceful and congenital atmosphere is restored before it gets too late, Dr Vikas demanded immediate withdrawal of FIR against the Army and also urged the BJP Government to withdraw support from the PDP party and impose Governor rule to surmount the deteriorating security scenario in the State without further delay.
NPSU activists also demonstrated against the State Government for its act of registering FIRs against the personnels of the Indian Army. A large number of student activists were present in the protest, which was led by Thakur Virender Singh, State president NPSU. The angered protests raised the slogans against the State Govt and demanded withdrawal of FIRs slapped on the Army personnels. The protesters also burnt the effigy of the State Govt.
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