STATE TIMES NEWS
RAMNAGAR: Describing the prevalent situation in the State in the wake of NIT row as explosive, Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and former Minister, on Sunday lambasted the incumbent government for its apathetic and indifferent approach to appropriately address the crisis.
He regretted that while Jammu region in general and the students fraternity in particular was boiling with rage, the State Government was terming the present turmoil as a ‘minor’ issue.
He further said that while the HRD Minister had failed to visit the NIT Srinagar despite announcements, the Deputy Chief Minister too had preferred to summon the students to his Srinagar residence citing security reasons for his reluctance to visit the troubled campus.
He said that if the Dy CM with a huge paraphernalia of security personnel was feeling insecure in visiting NIT campus, the plight of non local students residing in the NIT campus could be anybody’s guess.
Lampooning the BJP-PDP Government for its despicable disregard for the most genuine concerns of the students, Harsh flayed in particular the contemptible posturing of Deputy Chief Minister who was making vague and nauseating statements to the utter chagrin of students and their parents / guardians.
Harsh Dev was addressing a huge public gathering in Chowki, Ramnagar on Sunday.
Terming the institution of criminal cases against the non local students of NIT by BJP partnered government as highly outrageous and reprehensible, Harsh said that saffron party stood fully exposed for its hypocrisy and double speak.
He also said that immunity to those who raised anti national slogans and Pak flags and slapping of criminal cases against those who raised National Flags had revealed the BJP in its true colours and proved beyond doubt that lust knew no bars, no red lines.
Reminding BJP of its tantrums of leading processions to Lal Chowk Sringar while in opposition to host Tricolour there, he regretted that the saffron party had resorted to cane charging and assaulting such nationalists in its own government only to remain glued to power.
Urging upon the Central and State Governments to accord priority consideration to the resolution of NIT row, Dev Singh cautioned that any further laxity could prove counterproductive and further flare up the highly sensitive and combustible issue.
He said that Union HRD Minister must herself visit the campus to address the concerns of the agitating students and to assuage their hurt feelings. He further sought a CBI enquiry into the ugly incidents in NIT Srinagar as the enquiry by a subordinate officer would not satisfy the aspirations of the people.
He further supported the demand of the students for postponement of exams in view of highly surcharged atmosphere in the campus till the resolution of their genuine issues. He said that harassment and torture of nationalist students would be fought tooth and nail.
On the local issues of Ramnagar, Harsh expressed grave concern over the complete paralysis of the developmental machinery in the Ramnagar constituency with majority of the development projects having become defunct.
He regretted that several schemes initiated during his tenure had been abandoned thus depriving the legitimate beneficiaries of the benefits envisaged under the scheme.
He further castigated the politician- contractor nexus and rampant corruption which had taken a heavy toll of developmental works in the area. He assured the people to take up their local issues for redressal at the appropriate levels.
Prominent among other who spoke on the occasion included Dev Singh, Pt. Shiv Ram Sharma, Krishan Chand, Sandoor Singh, Bishan Dass, Sushil Tripathi, Dharam Chand, Ram Krishan, KakuRam and Charan Dass.
