Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Nov 26:
Accusing the Deputy Commissioner and SSP Udhampur for openly supporting the BJP sponsored candidates in the Panchayats in the District in brazen defiance of the service laws and Conduct of Election Rules, a strong contingent of Panther activists led by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Mr. Yash Paul Kundal State President Young Panthers staged a vociferous protest demonstration outside the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Jammu today. The agitated protesters while raising slogans torched the effigies of said SSP and DC and appealed CEO to take cognizance of the grave situation and initiate stringent action against the erring officers under law to save the democracy in District Udhampur. They also submitted a memorandum to secretary of the Election Deptt in the absence of CEO.
Addressing the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that while the candidates supported by the BJP in the Panchayat elections were being promoted and patronized by the District Administration, the candidates of Panthers Party were being victimized, harassed and intimidated with a design. He divulged that several employees of the District were being forced to campaign for the BJP candidates and those who refused to participate in the unethical practice were being harassed and attached by the biased administration. On the other hand, the employees and the officers who were overtly involved in the electioneering in favour of the saffron party were shielded and protected by the higher-ups in the hierarchy, Harsh added.
Shocked over the prevalent situation in district Udhampur, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that things had gone to such an extent that not only the civil but police officials were also being specifically deputed to work to promote BJP sponsored Sarpanches and Panches candidates in the election campaign.
Making particular mention of BDO Majalta and BDO Parly Dhar, Mr. Singh said that dozens of complaints against them and their subordinates were ignored and turned blind eye on the commands of the DC Udhampur who was purposely patronizing such corrupt officers in view of animosity nurtured by him against Panthers Party. Similarly, the complaints against one police official who was spotted campaigning along with the BJP workers in the vehicle carrying liquor meant for alluring voters had also been disregarded by the higher authorities to please their political bosses.
Not only were police officials facilitating smuggling of liquor and currency notes for bribery voters but some of these police men had openly appealed in social media to support certain BJP candidates, he pointed out. And despite all this they had been allowed to go scot free, alleged Singh. He further said that more than a dozen PSOs and guards provided to Ex-MLA Ramnagar of BJP out of the way were being used by him for election campaign of his Panches and Sarpanches in blatant violation of the Election norms and procedures with complaints against these policemen also having been shamefully thrown in the trash bin by the SSP Udhampur.
Accusing the DC and SSP Udhampur of acting against NPP, Mr. Singh brought to the notice of CEO that they had turned hostile because several complaints of wrongdoings and irregularities committed by them were lodged against them by Panthers Party leaders at various foras. He called upon the Chief Electoral officer to take serious notice of the brewing dangerous situation which had posed a grave threat to the democracy in the district Udhampur. He asked him to take stringent action against these officers who were abusing their power and authority to promote the candidates of a particular party in the ongoing.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Rajiv Mahajan, K.K Sharma, Rampaul Sharma, Udhayveer Sambyal, Ch. Surinder Chouhan, Rashpaul Singh, Ajay Kumar, Rakesh Verma, Rohit Sharma, Bittu Choudhary, Vikram Singh besides others.
