Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, June 2: Businessmen here today led by Beopar Mandal Kathua blocked the National Highway (NH) at Kalibari for one hour in protest against the district administration for demolishing a commercial building allegedly without any notice.
Traffic was suspended on the busy NH and people, mostly tourist, suffered due to the road block.
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People of Kathua including businessmen supported by BJP Ex-Minister, Rajiv Jasrotia, DDC Vice Chairman, Raghunandan Singh and leaders of other political parties sat on NH and raised slogans against Deputy Commissioner Kathua.
A protest march was also taken out from Mukerjee Chowk which passed through Shaheedi Chowk, College Road, DC Office road and ultimately reached NH where the protesters staged a sit-in.
Long queues of stranded vehicles were seen on the road.
SSP Kathua, Shivdeep Singh along with heavy contingent of police reached the protest site and tried to pacify the protestor but they continued the protest after which Police diverted the traffic to other route to ease the traffic jam.
After DC Kathua, Rakesh Minhas visited the protesting people and assured them to discuss the issue with them in his office the protestor lifted the protest for table talks.
Earlier, tension gripped Kathua town this morning when
Chief Executing Officer (CEO), Santosh Kotwal of Municipal Council (MC) Kathua led a heavy contingent of police reached the commercial complex of Mohinder Pal Abhay Mahajan at Shaheedi Chowk road and started dismantling of the building which also housed a shopping mall.
Owner of the commercial building Abhay Mahajan reached the spot and objected the action by MC.
Soon other people also joined him and demanded orders for dismantling the building and the CEO allegedly failed to produce the orders.
Beopar Mandal Kathua has expressed serious concern over the development and condemned the action of MC Kathua.
After demolition of the building traders in the town shut their shops and joined the protest against the administration.
It is pertinent to mention here that the issue emerged when owner of the building converted residential complex into commercial one few days back and MC served him a notice.
Some locals have raise hue and cry claiming that the commercial complex may create chaos in the area.
The matter came before the Deputy Commissioner Kathua and in the meantime some deputations of citizens and owner of the building also met the DC urging to soften the stand on the matter.
As per reports District Administration gave time of few days to vacate the building but in the morning, a team of MC Kathua led by its CEO started dismantling the building allegedly without any notice of vacating it.
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