Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Mar, 24
Protesting Dharmarth Trust employees today took out a rally here seeking intervention of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in constitution of Board for all the temples under Dharmarth Trust on the pattern of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
Holding banners and placards, the employees including Pujaris in traditional dress gathered at Shri Ranbireshwar Temple and staged a strong demonstration from where they took out rally towards Indira Chowk.
As the protest entered the 114th day and chain hunger strike at 86th day, hundreds of employees, including women, continued their ‘dharna’ at Shri Ranbireshwar Temple and raised slogans against the J&K Government and Dharmarth Trust management.
Employees are demanding Shrine Board and CBI enquiry of land scandals by taking under hand deal by the persons having control on Dharmarth Trust for the last 60 years.
Pujaris along with other employees sounding shank, beating bells amidst Vedic Mantar took out rally from Ranwashver temple to Indra Chowk, Hari Market, Raghunath Bazar finished at City Chowk. The rally was organised by association for the people of Jammu and other Dharmik associations to get up to save the Dogra culture and Sanatan Dharm. Members namely Gotam Singh Jamwal (president), R P Sharma (convener), Th. Karnail Chand (co-convener), Kehar Chand, Kulwant Singh and others of Mandir Board Sangharsh Samati also joined the protest rally and give full support to the striking employees for their demands to merge all the temples to SMVDSB and also demanded CBI enquiry in the matter of all the misdeeds and selling of temples land and buildings to non Hindus by the person having control on Dharmarth Trust.
The persons who sit on hunger strike today include Pt. Naresh Sharma, Pt. Ajay Sharma, Pt. Bodh Raj, Chaman Lal, Shiva, Krishan, Ajay, Ashok, Veena Devi and Sukeshni/
Meanwhile, Atul Sharma President Jammu Kashmir Brahman Sabha, Vickey Rasgotra General Secretary, Pt Uptal, Akash Raina, Pritam Sharma joint secretary Jammu Kashmir Brahman Sabha also extended support to striking employees.
