J&K: Cong holds protest over detention of YRS activists demanding removal of toll plaza

Jammu, Aug 24 (PTI) Congress workers on Thursday held a protest and allegedly tried to enter a jail in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district against the detention of ‘Yuva Rajput Sabha’ (YRS) activists who are demanding the removal of the Sarore toll plaza.

Scores of Congress workers, led by former deputy chief minister Tara Chand, gathered in Kathua town and marched towards the jail to meet the detained YRS activists. However, police stopped them before they could reach the jail, officials said.

At least 27 activists of YRS were detained for violating restrictions around the Sarore toll plaza. Authorities had imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which forbids the gathering of four or more people at a particular place, in and around the toll plaza late Monday night.

The YRS is demanding the removal of the toll plaza on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Samba district, claiming that it was illegally set up to collect toll from the common people.

Congress leader Chand lambasted the BJP government at the Centre for imposing taxes on the people amid unprecedented price rise and unemployment.

“We want their release. The government is crushing the voice of common people for every genuine cause. The BJP has utterly failed to safeguard the rights of the Jammu people and save them from all sorts of undue harassment,” he told reporters here.

He also targeted the J-K administration for detaining the YRS leaders for holding a “peaceful protest” demanding the removal of the toll plaza.

In Samba, members of various organisations held protests and blocked traffic for hours on the highway.

Former minister Manjit Singh asked the Centre to stop “illegal collection” of toll tax at Sarore.