Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Feb 14:
Congress today organised a massive protest March to LG house over the slogan of MGNREGA Bachao and restoration of statehood to J&K in Jammu leading to a minor scuffle with heavy contingent of police when the later stopped the march at Jewal Chowk
All top leadership leading the march including AICC General Secretary Incharge J&K Affairs Dr Sayeed Naseer Hussain MP, PCC President Shri Tariq Hameed Karra, AICC General Secretary & CLP Leader G A Mir, Vikar Rasool Wani, AICC Secretary Pargat Singh MLA, PCC Working Presidents Raman Bhalla, Tara Chand, Ex Ministers Mula Ram, Yogesh Sawhney, Jugal Kishore Sharma, G.M. Saroori, Majid Wani, Dr.Manohar Lal Sharma, Yash Pal Kundal, Smt. Gurbachan Kumari Rana, Shabir Ahmed Khan, Ex-MP T.s. Bajwa, Legislators Nizamudin Bhat, Irfan Lone,Iftikhar Ahmed, Ex Legislators Ravinder Sharma,Ved Mahajan, Th. Balbir Singh, Indu Pawar, Naresh Gupta, Ashok Dogra, Subash Gupta, Sham Lal Bhagat, PCC functionaries, DCC Presidents and frontal wings heads and leaders , contested candidates alongwith hundreds of prominent activists were detained near Vinayak Bazar, Jewel Chowk and taken to DPL Jammu. However they were released after about one hour.
A massive gathering of Congress leaders and workers Assembled at Maharaja Hari Singh ji statue park which included all prominent leaders from all Districts of Jammu region and Kashmir province including women activists.
The Senior Congress leadership of AICC and PCC garlanded the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh ji and briefly addressed the large gathering which proceeded towards Lok Bhawan (LG House) raising strong slogans in favour of restoration of statehood to J&K and MGNREGA Bachao.
They took out the march towards LG house carrying party flags, play cards and raising strong slogans and moved to Jewel Chowk, Vinayak Bazar Chowk in a rally. The heavy contingent of police stopped the top leadership, while the agitated youth Congress workers indulged in minor scuffle with police.
The police took away the top leaders into a police vehicle nearby to DPL Gandhi Nagar including AICC General Secretary , PCC President, CLP Leader, MLAs, Ex ministers, Ex_Legislators, District Presidents and frontal heads. Later Ch. Lal Singh and his supporters were detained at Prade Ground to prevent them from proceeding ahead.
Addressing the gathering at Maharaja Hari Singh Park AICC General Secretary Incharge J&K Affairs Dr Sayeed Naseer Hussain MP said that Congress party is carrying on nationwide campaign against removal of pro- labour and pro- poor MGNREGA scheme in the country which was acknowledged worldwide as largest rural job guarantee scheme.
Modi government wanted to demolish the pro poor scheme in the country launched by Congress party under the leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi in the name of father of nation Mahatma Gandhi.
Congress carried out over 45 days MGNREGA Bachao Sangram in the country which was successfully carried out by the party in every district of J&K in all blocks to register our opposition.
AICC General Secretary lashed out at BJP govt at the centre for ignoring the most popular and legitimate demand of people of J&K for restoration of statehood and said that entire Congress leadership fully supports the struggle of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress for restoration of statehood.
He asked Modi government to immediately announce restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without delay as people feel cheated and betrayed for fulfilling the promise.
He also referred to the large scale unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that BJP government failed to create job opportunities to unemployed youth.
JKPCC President Shri Tariq Hameed Karra lauded the congress cadres for the massive show of strength today to register protest over MGNREGA replacement by Modi government and for restoration of statehood. He said that pro poor and pro labour MGNREGA scheme was replaced by BJP government which is against the interest of rural poor in the country.
Karra said Congress is carrying out struggle for the restoration of statehood to J&K, promised to people more than six years ago and it will continue to carry on the movement till statehood is restored.
AICC General Secretary GA Mir in his address approached the congress workers for the highly successful protest on the pro people issues of statehood and MGNREGA and said that there is participation from all nook and corner of J&K in the rally.
He said Congress shall intensify the struggle for statehood and to highlight the wrong decision of MGNREGA Hatao by BJP.
Working President Raman Bhalla lashed out at the Centre government for the vindictive decision of replacement of pro poor and pro labour MGNREGA scheme and said that poor in rural areas will be rendered jobless.
He also hit out at BJP govt at the centre for not grating statehood to J&K which is over due .BJP’s efforts to rule by proxy is being watched by the common people in J&K and will teach a lesson to the party.
