STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Expressing resentment over the detention of Panther Party’s Fact Finding Committee at Patnitop which was on its way to Kashmir to probe into NIT row, Balwant Singh Mankotia, State President JKNPP and Head of the Committee, lambasted the State Government for resorting to suppressive approach in dealing with the infamous NIT issue.
Mankotia, while speaking to the media here on Thursday, said that the committee shall submit memorandum to Governor over detention at Patnitop.
“It was very unfortunate that the members of the Fact Finding Committee were restrained and arrested by the police for no reason,” he said. He wondered that under what provision of law they were restrained by the J and K Police to enter Kashmir Valley.
Expressing dismay over the unlawful detention, he asked that on whose behest and under which order they were kept in the police custody and maintained that the State Government had resorted to dictatorial approach by suppressing the fundamental right of freedom of the committee members.
While taking a dig at the BJP, Singh said that on one side it was endorsing the proposal to appoint the nodal committees to assure the safety of Kashmiri students studying in the other states of India and on the other it preferred to remain as a mute spectator while the students of other states were leaving NIT Srinagar for their homes.
Balwant maintained that the unlawful detention of the committee members had further strengthened his conviction and belief that the report of the State committee set up for the inquiry into the infamous row would be biased and fabricated.
He said that since the State Government was reluctant to expose truth about the NIT issue which rocked the entire nation, NPP’s five member fact finding committee shall submit a memorandum to the Governor to express resentment over the laxity shown by the government in resolving the NIT row besides its unconstitutional detention at Patnitop.
Others who were present in the press conference included Gagan Pratap Singh, Chetan Sharma, Mohinder Pal Pandu and Kewal Krishan Sharma.
