Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 4: Police today foiled the protest march by activists of Jammu Pradesh United Front, who were demonstrating against alleged compromises by the BJP for possible formation of Government in alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shouting slogans and carrying placards in support of their demand for a Chief Minister from Jammu, the JPUF activists courted arrest at Panjtirthi Chowk when Police did not allow them to proceed further.
The protesters, led by Ex-MLA and Panthers Party president Balwant Singh Mankotia, who is convener of the Front, were marching towards Press Club Jammu after passing through Old City.
The arrested leaders, including Balwant Singh Mankotia, Uday Chand, Krishan Manhas, Rajiv Mahajan, Pt Rajesh Kesari, Rajesh Pargotra, Gagan Pratap Singh, Kailash Mohan Bonotra, Jagdev Singh, Anil Rakwal and Aditya Hans, were released after some time.
Earlier, while addressing the JPUF activists, Mr Mankotia said that it has been a landmark event in the political history of Jammu that several organizations of Jammu Pradesh have assembled under one umbrella to fight for the cause of the region. “We respect and uphold the most coveted people’s aspiration of Chief Minister incumbent from Jammu region. It is a life time chance for the BJP with 25 MLAs to form the Government headed by the CM from Jammu region and if it could not happen then the people of Jammu would feel hoodwinked, cheated and humiliated”, he asserted.
Mankotia reminded about the assurances given by the BJP before the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections to accord Permanent Resident (State Subject) rights to the West Pak refugees and the rehabilitation of border residents. “It is a sheer irony that some elements are opposing the permanent settlement of the West Pak refugees for their vested interests. We would like to see BJP rise on the occasion and impress upon incorporating their issue in the CMP on the first priority before forming the Government. Besides this, the onetime settlement of PoJK refugees of 1947, 1965,1971 and the rehabilitation of the displaced border residents as promised in their (BJP) manifesto should also be considered in the CMP”, he maintained.
Uday Chand, Core Committee member & spokesman JPUF, said that the front shall act as a watchdog on the BJP’s stand while framing the CMP with the PDP. “We shall ensure that it (BJP) sticks to other core issues like non revocation of AFSPA for strengthening the security of the State and threadbare discussion on the Article 370 while drafting the CMP on the basis of which they had sought the mandate of the people of Jammu region in the recently held Assembly elections”, he added.
Ex-MLA Yashpal Kundal, Krishan Manhas, Rajiv Mahajan and others also addressed the gathering.
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