STATE TIMES NEWS
UDHAMPUR: For the purpose of probing into the infamous NIT Srinagar row, a five member fact finding committee of JKNPP headed by Balwant Singh Mankotia, State President, which was on way to Kashmir was restrained by the State Police from proceeding further at Patnitop.
The members were arrested and detained at Batote Police Station, who were later released in the evening.
Mankotia, while speaking to the media, said that it was very unfortunate that the members of the fact finding committee were restrained and arrested by the police for no reason.
By stopping the members to proceed further, he said, the State Government had resorted to suppressive approach by violating the fundamental right of freedom.
While taking a dig at the BJP, Mankotia said that on one side it was endorsing the proposal to appoint the nodal committees to assure the safety of the Kashmiri students studying in the other states of India where as it remained a mute spectator while the students of other states were leaving NIT Srinagar for their homes.
Balwant maintained that apprehensions were rife that the report of the State committee set up for the inquiry into the infamous row would be biased, that was the reason why NPP was forced to constitute its own five member fact finding committee to interact with the students of NIT Srinagar and unveil the truth before the people of the country.
He said that the act of police by stopping him to enter Kashmir had strengthened his conviction that the State Government was reluctant to expose the truth about the NIT issue which had rocked the entire nation.
He said that NPP shall call a meeting to discuss the next course of action.
Others who were arrested along with Mankotia include Gagan Pratap Singh, Chetan Sharma, Mohinder Pal Pandu, Bashir-u-ddin, Kewal Krishan Sharma (Observer) and Kailash Mohan (Observer).
