STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Jammu observed ‘Bandh’ on Thursday to protest against the Jammu and Kashmir Police brutal action against outstation students in NIT Srinagar on April 5.
The shut down called by various political organizations including Shri Ram Sena (SRS), Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP).
It may be mentioned that non-local students were brutally beaten up by the Jammu and Kashmir Police when some anti-national elements celebrated India’s defeat by the West Indies in the World T20 Cup match.
State President, Shri Ram Sena, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajiv Mahajan condemned the police action and said that the Jammu Bandh should be a clarion call to all police officers, ministers about region’s response in suppressing nationalist forces in Kashmir. He demanded that the erring police personnel should be dismissed from job and replace paramilitary force in the NIT campus for security purpose.
A large number of students led by State President, National Panthers Student Union (NPSU), Thakur Virender Singh from University of Jammu boycotted classes took out a rally and blocked ever busy Tawi Bridge for two hours.
Expressing solidarity with the parents of the student victims, he condemned the State Government for pathetic plight of pro-India students of NIT Srinagar who were being assaulted, abused, manhandled not only by the anti-national elements but even were being threatened by local administrations and faculty members for putting their career in jeopardy.
Mohinder Pal Singh Pandu, senior NPSU leader maintained that the silence of BJP leadership over the controversy is a reflection of power corrupt mentality. He cautioned Union MHRD Minister Smriti Irani to take the cognisance of the situation and sought stringent action against the culprits.
Prominent among others present on the occasion included Lovely Singh, Asha Rani, Vicky Bhau, Bhupinder, Singh, Bhanu Singh, Diksha, Rishi Badyal, Sumit Jamwal, Shiksha Sharma, Vinay Sharma, Babban and Shubam Jasrotia.
Jammu Province People Forum (JPPF) activists held a demonstration at Purani Mandi Municipal Park in support of the Bandh call and failure of the State Government to check such unruly elements.
Working President JPPF M.S Katoch said State Government failed to provide security to outstation students, action against the erring police officials and other anti-national elements for engineering the unrest.
The Front also called for an enquiry into the role of some of the NIT faculty in tampering with marks sheets of non-local students and playing with their career.
Prominent members who participate included President JPPF Th Pavittar Singh Bhardwaj, Inderjeet Khajuria, S Gajan Singh, M.L Sharma, Avinash Bhatia, Rajiv Mahajan, P.R Singh, Suneeta Sharma, R.P Shastri, Rajinder Singh, Balwan Singh, Kapil Dev, K.K Paroch, B.S Jamwal and Raju Saluja.
All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) staged a protest against the police action on NIT students from outside for hoisting Tricolour.
The protestors were led by its Chairman Vinod Pandit who denounced the local administration for letting the situation go out of control in the NIT campus.
King Bharati, senior journalist and National Spokesperson APMCC said that it was clear that the local police acted to take ‘revenge’ from the students for their daring act of hoisting the National Flag at a place where police remains mute spectator while ISIS and Pakistan flags are being hoisted openly.
Swami Kumar Ji and M.K Yogi called for immediate arrest and registration of an FIR against the policemen involved and suspension of the concerned officers to defuse the situation.
Advocate Ravinder Raina President ASKPC and Rakesh Koul former President Kashmiri Samiti Delhi asked the State Government to identify the policemen involved and suspend them immediately. Prominent others who participated in the protest include Som Nath Saraf Vice President Kapai Mochan Trust Shopian, T.K Zutshi, Rakesh Pandita, T.K Koul President, TRT Migrant Camp Muthi, Ravinder Kaul, Vishal Fotedar, Shishank Bhat, M.K Koul, Naresh Jyotshi and Nana Ji Sathoo.
Shiv Sena sought action against the police officials for resorting to lathicharge on peaceful rally taken out by non-local students.
“All those who are sloganeering against India should be immediately put behind bars. The NIT campus has now become a hub of anti-nationals, who are indulging in anti-national activities in the campus,” State President Shiv Sena, Jammu and Kashmir, Dimpy Kohli said.
“PDP-BJP alliance is unholy and cannot give proper security to Hindus in the State who are in minority,” he said adding that it is a very dangerous episode when JKP cops break all the laws and beat up students who are true patriots.
Protest demonstration was held simultaneously at R.S Pura, Samba, Kathua, Vijaypur, Bari-Brahmana, Jammu and other districts of the State. Those who took part in the protest were Raj Singh, Sandeep Bhagat, H.K Sharma, Raju Salaria, Satish Sahni, Narinder Dev Chunni, Ramesh Gupta, M.M Sadotra and Raj Kumar Raja.
The activists of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena ( AG), Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of President Ashok Gupta took out a protest in city against the NIT incident.
Gupta asked the Deputy CM that under the PDP-BJP coalition is it a crime to wave the National Flag in the government college as it was merely an act of showing patriotism by the students against the seditious slogans raised against the country by the Kashmiri youth.
The party activists who were present included Birbal, Nanku, Sushil, Sukhdev, Vijay, Bodh Raj, Rakesh, Ashish and Abhishek.
Provincial Vice President National Conference Jammu Gurdeep Singh Sasan on Thursday criticised the anti-people policies of PDP-BJP Government, saying the dispensation in its earlier 10-month tenure ignored weaker sections and minorities in particular.
Interacting with various deputations, Sasan expressed anguish over denial of package to PoK refugees and grant of minority status to Sikh community. He said the coalition has also sabotaged various initiatives taken by the National Conference Government for welfare of minorities and the PoK refugees. He sought immediate setting up of Minority Commission so that the urges and aspirations of the minorities are satiated.
Former Minister and President Dogra Sadar Sabha, J and K, Th. Gulchain Singh Charak expressed his dismay over the way BJP-PDP Coalition Government in the State handled situation in Kashmir wherein students of Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology (NIT) were dealt with. He also described silence being maintained by government is uncalled for.
Charak, while seeking safety and security of outside students in Kashmir, asked the State as well as Central Government not to politicise university and college campuses and also ensure safety of students of Jammu and Kashmir studying outside in other states as well.
Former minister said that all the just and genuine demands of students must be acceded to and all those found guilty in aggravating the situation punished as per law of the land.
Condemning use of force by Jammu and Kashmir Police against NIT Srinagar students, Charak asked the authorities to at least allow injured and first year students to visit their homes so that they could find some solace after which adequate arrangements must also be made for their safe return so that they could resume their studies. Holding the students back forcefully and against their will is not justified.
National Students Union of India activists took out rally from Jammu University to Jewel Chowk against BJP-PDP Government. Protesters were raising slogan against PDP and BJP Govt. The protest was lead by Neeraj Kundan State President NSUI and attended by Nasib Ali, Avijot Singh, Ajay Kumar, Sunny Prihar, Arif Choudhary. They condemned the NIT violance.
