Tara Chand leads Congress leaders march to Kathua jail, police restrains

To mobilize mass movement for the safeguard of Jammu interests

Kathua, Aug 24, 2023:- Police today restrained  Senior Congress Leaders including former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Senior Leaders Th Balwan Singh Ex- MLA, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma , Tarlok Singh Bajwa, Ex- MLC Ved Mahajan, MK Bhardwaj Ex President Bar Association Jammu,Vinod Sharma, Bhushan Dogra Ex- MOS alongwith a number of other senior leaders from meeting the detained leaders of Yuva Rajput Sabha,in Kathua Jail

A heavy contingent of Police stopped Senior Congress leaders & prevented them from meeting the detained leaders of Yuva Rajput Sabha in Kathua jail ,today when ,the Senior Congress Leaders led by Former Dy CM Tara Chand alongwith Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma,Senior Congress leader & Former MLA Thakur Balwan Singh,   Ex -MP T S Bajwa , Ved  Mahajan Ex-MLC,Vinod Sharma, I/C PCC HQ, Sr Adv M K Bhardwaj Ex- President  Bar Association Jammu, Sdr Gurmeet Singh, Narinder Gupta, Narinder Sharma, Bhushan Dogra( Ex- MOS – SC Board) Neeraj Gupta PCC Media Secretary , Subash Bhagat, Vijay Chib, Pankaj Sharma, Parvesh Sharma, Kewal Singh Jasrotia alongwith Senior Congress  leaders of District. Kathua including President Pankaj Dogra , Mr Naresh Sharma Ex – Chairman MC Kathua MC ,Nirdosh Sharma Secretary PCC,Vijay Tagora BDC Chairman, Shri Kulbushan  Ex- Chairman Nagri,Ravinder Singh Nita, Rajan Sharma councillor,Yog Raj & ors with  hundreds of congress workers took out a strong protest march in Kathua city towards  District Jail Kathua, in support of detained Yuva Rajput Sabha leaders, seeking their unconditional release. 

The massive protest in support of the detained leaders demanded their immediate unconditional release, abolishing of Sarore toll plaza and raised strong slogans against BJP and centre government and UT administration, charging it of fleecing the common people through toll tax and multiple other taxes like property tax, smart meters etc. The protest rally was organized by Naresh Sharma and others. 

Speaking on occasion, Shri Tara Chand lambasted the BJP government for imposing huge taxes in multiple forms upon the people amidst unprecedented price rise and record unemployment and announced to intensify the movement  to oppose the authoritarian approach of the government. 

The government is crushing the voice of common people for every genuine cause as BJP has utterly failed to safeguard the rights & interests of the common especially Jammu youth and save them from all sorts of undue harassment  . 

He lashed out at the administration for detaining the Yuva Rajput Sabha leaders and book them for their peaceful protest to remove the toll plaza at Sarore which is being unnecessarily & illegally charged from the people. He said that after abrogation of special status, the people of J&K are deprived  of protection of lands, job and petty trade. He demanded immediate release of detained leaders and abolishing of toll plaza. 

Thakur Balwan Singh lashed out at the UT administration for the illegal and arbitrary arrest and detention of Yuva Rajput Sabha leaders when they were peacefully representing the voice of Jammu people. It is adding insult to the Jammuties, who are peace loving and tax paying people. 

He charged the BJP government & LG adm of suppressing every genuine voice of Jammu people and said that the people will not tolerate the authoritarian approach of the government. He said Congress never adopted the vindictive approach towards BJP and other opposition during it’s regime but BJP has crossed all limits and charging tax on a dilapidated road from Jammu to Kathua, which distance is covered in three & half hours today. 

Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma while briefing media persons said that the arrest and detention of Yuva Rajput Sabha is totally unjustified as they were raising voice of people. BJP government is adopting anti democratic approach and imposing jazia on crores of pilgrims visiting here. 

Former Bar Association President M K Bhardwaj Sr Advocate termed their detention as illegal and arbitrary as they committed no offence but administration is adopting authoritarian approach to crush the voice of Jammu youth, for which the struggle shall be intensified. 

Ex -MP T S Bajwa strongly condemned the arrest of YRS leaders and detaining them in Jail for raising the genuine voice of people, as per announcement of Surface Transport Minister in the house, in March 2022,that toll plaza with in distance of less than 60kms, will be removed in three months but nothing changed. 

The senior Congress Leaders besides a team of Senior lawyers desired to meet the detained leaders to express solidarity of the party with them but were not allowed, despite advance written request to police higher ups, The party leaders announced to continue the struggle for the release of detained youth and the genuine cause of people and said that Congress party shall support all efforts in this direction while cursing the ruling BJP leaders for their dual standards on the issues of Jammu people.

(NOTE: PRESS RELEASE PUBLISHED AS RECEIVED)