Congress protests UT Divas, demands statehood, Assembly elections

UT divas celebrations adds insult to injury: JKPCC Chief

JAMMU, October 31: Congress today held a strong protest dharna to oppose the celebration of UT Divas by the Govt and the BJP and observed it black day  and demanded early restoration of statehood and  state assembly elections.

Led by JKPCC President Shri Vikar Rasool Wani along with Working President Shri Raman Bhalla, Senior Vice Presidents  Th. Balwan Singh, Ravinder Sharma besides Vice Presidents, General Secretaries and  large number of PCC functionaries, DCC Presidents, frontal wing heads and senior leaders of DCCs Jammu Urban and Rural, the protest sit in dharna at Shaheedi Chowk was held for over two hours demanding statehood and assembly elections besides restoration of democracy including ULB and Panchayat elections.

A large number of workers including women workers carrying play cards raised strong slogans against UT Divas  & BJP Govt. and demanded immediate restoration of state hood and democracy.

Prominent those who attended included  Vice Presidents Ved Mahajan, Naresh K Gupta, Yash Pal Kundal, Vinod Sharma, Rajnish Sharma (Mian), Pranav Shagotra, General Secretaries Mohinder Bhardwaj, Pawan Raina, Shashi Sharma, T.S. Tony, Naresh Sharma, Narinder Gupta, Amrit Bali, Shakeel Shah, S. Gurmit Singh, Narinder Sharma, Balbir Singh, Shakeel Mir, Subash Bhagat, Satish Sharma, Thomas Khokhar, DCC Presidents Th. Manmohan Singh (Jammu Urban), Shamsher Chib (Jammu Rural), Sanjeev Sharma (Samba), Pankaj Dogra (Kathua),  Vinod Khajuria (Udhampur), Akash Bharat (PYC),  Shameema Raina (Mahila) Vijay Sharma (Seva Dal), Ajay Lakhotra ( NSUI),  Karan Bhagat (SC), Madan Chalotra (OBC),  Krishan Bhagat (Ex-MLA), besides  Bhushan Dogra, Sanjeev Sharma Panda, Nirdosh Sharma, Rajveer sIngh, Th. Hoshyar Singh,  Pankaj Sharma, Satish Shastri, Pawan Bhagat, Paramjit Singh, Jyoti Vaid, Vijay Tagotra,, Vijay Shastri, Jatin Raina,  Ricky Dalotra,  Parshotam Mehra, Camres David Babloo, Daleep Kumar, Bhavishya Soodan,  Charanjit Bhagat,  Sham Mehra, Com. Gurmeet Singh, Rakesh Sharma, Farooq Ahmed and others.

JKPCC Chief Vikar Rasool Wani lashed out at the BJP led Centre Govt. and UT administration for celebrating UT divas, thus adding insult to the injuries of all people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the promise of restoration of statehood on the floor of parliament appears to be another Jumla of BJP Govt as it is for the first time that the UT divas is being celebrated on this day, which clearly indicates that BJP Govt does not want to return statehood to J&K. This is insult to the people of J&K who are hurt by the downgrading of historical Dogra State. He said that Congress shall launch a  struggle and take it to the block levels for restoration of statehood and holding of assembly elections besides ULB and Panchayat elections.

Working President Raman Bhalla said that BJP should answer to the people why celebration of UT divas  after 4 years and where is the promise of restoration of statehood. The historical Dogra state was downgraded into UT against the wishes of all people of J&K and  asked BJP to explain to the people why no restoration of statehood  after 4 years. He said people will teach a lesson to BJP for this betrayal besides large scale unemployment and price rise and taxes.

Th. Balwan Singh, Sr. Vice President hit out at BJP for the insult to the Dogra state by disbanding and downgrading into UT. The celebration of UT Divas is adding  insult to the people and demanded immediate restoration of statehood and early elections.

Ravinder Sharma termed the UT Divas celebration as a gift of BJP to the people after 4 years and said that people would teach BJP a lesson but Centre is deferring all elections including assembly, ULB and Panchayats.

(NOTE: PRESS RELEASE PUBLISHED AS RECEIVED)