JAMMU: Enraged by the State Government doling out premium to the anti-nationals and subversives in the Valley while disparaging the martyrs and nationalists, a strong contingent of Panther activists spearheaded by Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP staged a vociferous protest at Exhibition Ground, here on Sunday.
The agitated protestors while raising anti-government slogans torched the effigy of the BJP to express their indignation against its dual faced character.
While addressing the media, Harsh said that following the State Government’s announcement of ex-gratia relief in favour of next of the kin of Burhan Wani’s brother Khalid Muzaffar Wani who was an OWG of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit operative in Kashmir besides compensation and government jobs to the NoKs of the deceased stone pelters including the injured, the sinister coalition had once again come under the scanner when it created special appointment avenue for the kin of separatist leader during the unrest in the Valley. He said that Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s grandson Anees -ul- Islam was accommodated as Research Officer in Sher-e- Kashmir International Convention Complex (SKICC) with an annual salary of 12 lakh. And notwithstanding the fact that Anees was also refused a passport by the State’s Regional Passport Office on adverse reports from the J and K CID in 2009, Harsh added.
Accusing the BJP- PDP combine for conferring premiums to the militants and subversives, he rebuked the State Government’s reprobate policy of appeasing those who had waged war against the State, abetted youth to torch schools, destroyed over 50 police stations and security camps, snatched weapons from armed forces, killed several security personnel and injured several thousands while it doled out the most shabby treatment to the educated youth of Jammu region as well as the martyrs who made supreme sacrifices for the cause of Motherland.
Making a particular mention of the Ph D’s, M Phils and double post graduates, contractual lecturers sitting on hunger strike for the last 19 days, Singh regretted that none from the govt. had bothered to even pay a visit to the protest venue while the BJP-PDP persisted with its policy of appeasement and doles for the anti-national elements.
Expressing serious concern over the humiliation of the martyrs in the State, Harsh revealed that while the martyrs of other states were honoured and adequately paid the ex-gratia by the respective State governments, the government of J and K obnoxiously refused to pay compensation to the sons of the soil who laid down their lives for the nation. He demanded posthumous gallantry awards, ex-gratia compensation amounting to 50 lakh and the benefits of SRO 43 to be extended to the bereaved families of all the martyrs almost all of whom belonged to Jammu region.
Among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Manju Singh, Gagan Pratap, Shyam Gorkha, Advocate Kesar Parveen, Naresh Chib, Khajoor Singh, Neeraj Gupta, Nirmal Kishore, Parshotam Parihar, Raj Kumar, Rajesh Gondhi, Ravender Jamwal, Udheyveer, Sansar Chand, Narotam Singh, Narender Sharma and Rakesh Verma.