Congress takes out protest march in Jammu

Jammu, Aug 4 (PTI) The Congress on Friday took out a protest rally in Jammu against the Union territory administration and the BJP-led central government, and its workers tried to march to the Raj Bhawan but were stopped by police.

A large number of Congress workers, led by the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit president Waqar Rasool Wani and working president Raman Bhalla, assembled at the party office at Shaheedi chowk and began a march towards the Raj Bhawan.

A large contingent of state police deployed on Residency Road stopped the protesters from matching to the Raj Bhawan.

The protesters raised slogans against the BJP and the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir and demanded rollback of several decisions such as installation of smart electricity meters, withdrawal old age pension and imposition of property tax.

“The protest rally is being organised on many issues which expose the harsh realities of life in Jammu and Kashmir. The LG administration should do away with harsh measures that are hurting the poor,” Bhalla told reporters here.

“Without any elected government, the people of J-K easily fall prey to the malicious tactics of BJP. People are being exploited as taxes in the form of power tariffs, toll taxes, property tax, etc. and prices (of essential commodities) soar through the roof,” he said.

The party also demanded early conduct of assembly elections and restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress has launched a month-long protest campaign across Jammu and Kashmir to raise issues of price rise, installation of smart meters, imposition of property tax, withdrawal of widow and old age pensions, and restoration of statehood.