Sarore Toll Plaza: Protests continue in Samba, YRS demands immediate release of detainees
STATE TIMES NEWS
SAMBA: The series of demonstrations in Samba regarding the closure of Sarore toll plaza is heating up day by day, but the government has not yet taken any action on this issue. On Thursday the activists of Rajput Sabha and other political organizations also took out a protest rally from Chohatta Chowk in Samba to Main Chowk Samba. Protesters demanded that the detained activists of the Yuva Rajput Sabha should immediately be released and the closure of Sarore Toll Plaza. People from the border area of Samba and nearby villages also participated in the protest rally and reached Samba shocked in their vehicles as a rally and expressed anger against the central government. Meanwhile, Members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha have sat on a hunger strike in the main square of Samba. Members who were sitting on hunger strike, Lablu Sambyal, Sugreev Singh, Lucky Sambyal, Amardeep Singh, Maheshwar Raj, Dheeraj Guleria and Happu Singh. In view of the matter, SSP Samba Benam Tosh also reached the main square Samba and met the members sitting on the hunger strike and urged them to end the hunger strike and said that the government should be given a few days’ time, but the members sitting on the hunger strike refused to end the their strike. They clearly said that he will continue to sit on hunger strike until his demands are met.
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) General Secretary R.S Chib and Senior leader Jugal Kishore, while addressing a press conference here on Thursday, told reporters that party to take out protest rally tomorrow from Jammu towards Samba in support of Yuva Rajput Sabha activists, who are detained by Kathua police. DPAP leaders demanded suspension of toll plaza at Sarore.
Jugal termed the decision anti-people and anti-friendly and said no such decision imposed on the people of Jammu Kashmir would be acceptable.
Similarly, former Minister and Senior National Conference leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra led a protest here asking the government to rollback of levying toll tax at Sarore on Jammu highway and stop installation of smart meters. He described the levying of toll at Sarore as an avoidable burden on the common people and called for its immediate winding up in the larger interest of traders, industrialists, tourists, pilgrims and above all the common commuters.
Sadhotra assailed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for ignoring the resentment being registered by the stakeholders in a peaceful manner and urged the Double Engine Sarkar to shun confrontational approach, see reason in the overwhelming demand and roll back the decision to toll collection at Sarore Toll Plaza and Lakhanpur, as the Express Highway is still under construction.
