STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Alleging Forest Minister Lal Singh’s remark as part of ploy to disturb the communal and social fabric of the State, Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakarwal Youth (JKGBY) Desh staged a massive demonstration at Tawi Bridge blocking the vehicular traffic for quite some time.
Addressing the mammoth gathering of protestors, State President JKGBY Desh Choudhary Nazakat Khatana claimed that Lal Singh’s remark on massacre of Muslims in Jammu during 1947 unrest was the part of well-knit conspiracy to quench the desire of RSS backed BJP Government in State which is hell-bent to demean the pluralistic ethos prevailing in the State and to satiate the vested interests for petty political gains.
Rebuffing the clarification given by Forest Minister that by saying ’47’, he was referring to unprecedented upsurge in day temperature, Khatana claimed it to be absurd and concocting.
Claiming it is uncalled for a Cabinet Minister to get himself involved in a controversy targeting a particular community, Khatana appealed to people for throwing him out of realms of public life. Raising slogans, the protestors in one voice demanded immediate sacking of the Forest Minister. They said that placing leaders of such a mentality on the coveted post as minister can pose serious risk on the tranquility and even the sovereignty of India which is famous for its diverse cultural, social and religious hues.
Ch. Khatana warned of intensifying the agitation if the minister in question is not sacked immediately and an FIR is not registered to book him for his misdeed.
Prominent among those who were present in the protest included Choudhary Teag Ali, Ch. Naid Ali, Mushtaq Choudhary, Saiad Khatana, Javed Khatana and Ab. Ghani Chouhan.