Dogras heckle J&K Dy CM in Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh was heckled by the Dogra community members on Saturday, for failing to announce a holiday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler in the state.Scores of people raised anti-government slogans while Dr Singh was addressing them to mark the Maharaja’s birth anniversary in Jammu. Such was the intensity of the sloganeering that Dr Singh had to cut short his address and leave the venue. 

The unrelenting people, however, blocked his cavalcade and police had a tough time dispersing the mob. 

Dogras, who form the core support of BJP in Jammu, have been pressing for the declaration of Maharaja’s birthday as a public holiday in the state. The BJP has won all its 26 seats in the Legislative Assembly from the Jammu division. 

After the government failed to declare the holiday, the Dogra community members called on the employees in Jammu to go on a day-long mass casual leave to mark the occasion. Several organisations held programmes in the entire division to observe the birthday on Saturday. The Jammu Bar Association members also stayed away from work.

Volunteers from Team Jammu, a local NGO, distributed sweets among people and the group’s spokesman said that the Muslim brethren also organised a special function to mark the occasion, and even distributed sweets in Poonch.

“For the last 70 years, the BJP and its affiliated organisations have been exploiting the sentiments of Jammu people. After getting power, these groups are now gagging the voice of people and stand exposed. Instead of taking a tough stand on the issue of declaring a state holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, BJP leaders brazenly indulged in bargaining,” said Team Jammu Chairman Zorawar Singh Jamwal.

He further warned that the agitation will be intensified soon. “Our patience is running thin. People of Jammu will not tolerate these Jai Chands, who have bartered Jammu’s wishes and aspirations for their petty personal gains,” he said.