JAMMU: JKNPP President Balwant Singh Mankotia, former MLA Udhampur visited the families of five martyrs from Jammu Pradesh who were killed in Manipur by the terrorists while on duty. He was accompanied by local party leaders including Yashpaul Kundal, Young Panthers Party President and Ex-MLA, Rajesh Padgotra, Provincial President, Shankar Singh Chib, Provincial Secretary, Ashok Kumar, Janak Raj District Vice-President Jammu Rural, Nirmal Kishore, Pritam Sharma and Aditya Hans.
While interacting with the families of martyrs including Sepoy Vijay Kumar Sharma, resident of village Serh, Sepoy Randeep Singh, resident of village Bomal, Lance Naik Kuldeep Raj, resident of village Bern, Naib Subedar Ram Singh, resident of village Swankha Morh and Havaldar Sat Paul Bhasin, resident of village Muthi, Mankotia conveyed heartfelt condolences.
Lambasting the State government, he regretted that no official from the Government side or ruling political parties visited the families of the martyrs so far exposing the callous and hostile attitude of the Kashmiri leadership towards the guards of the nation.
Mankotia said that Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh respectively to the kin of the martyrs while the PDP-BJP government in J and K has not even shared the expression of sympathy with the families.
He demanded an ex-gratia and the compensation for families of the Dogra martyrs which should not be less than Rs.20 lakh per family.
The JKNPP President also sent an urgent communication to the Prime Minister of India on apathy of the BJP-PDP government towards the martyrs.