Cong, NPP and others staging joint protest in Jammu

Declare holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh birthday

JAMMU, JANUARY 11: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), Panthers and members of civil society representing different social, cultural and linguistic organizations shared the stage to jointly protest against the failure of UT administration to declare holiday on birth day of Maharaja Hari Singh in the revised calendar of holidays, issued on last month. 

A peaceful protest dharna organized by Congress party at statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi Bridge Jammu, was joined by representatives of different political, social & cultural organizations and members of civil society and intellectuals including Panthers Party, Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal, KB Jandial, Col Karan Singh, YV Sharma and others.

The Congress and several other participants questioned BJP for its betrayal, now, on the issue of declaring holiday on Maharaja’s birthday since the party had been forcefully raising and supporting this demand when out of power. Since UT administration is directly under Centre during President’s rule, why it failed to fulfill the popular demand of Dogra’s as Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the instrument of accession of State and it became integral part of India.

The gathering passed a resolution lodging strong protest over the revised calendar and sought its immediate review with a view to declare holiday on Maharaja’s birthday and to rectify the wrongs committed to distort history in this exercise.

PCC chief GA Mir while addressing the gathering targeted BJP for exploiting sentiments of Dogras all through on emotive issues like present one but failed to respect those sentiments after coming to power. He remembered the contributions of Maharaja Hari Singh who acceded the State to India and it became integral part of India. He questioned BJP as to why it betrayed the sentiments of people first by disbanding the Dogra State and down grading it to UT level and then by not fulfilling the demand of holiday on birthday of Maharaja.

Blaming BJP of playing vindictive politics, Mir also recalled the role of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah during crucial period of partition who opposed and rejected the two nation theory of Jinnah and advocated & supported accession of the J&K State to India. He accused BJP of distorting history for political vested interests.

Former minister and chairman National Panthers Party Harshdev Singh while reiterating the demand for declaring holiday on birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh, recalled the great role of Dogra rulers in the making, shaping and expanding the Dogra State and that of Maharaja Hari Singh to accede the State to India but regretted that BJP failed to respect the sentiments of Dogras and betrayed the huge mandate by not declaring holiday on Maharaja’s birthday. This has exposed the opportunist politics of BJP and pledged to continue the struggle for the just cause to get due recognition to Maharaja Hari Singh in the history.

Maj Gen. Goverdhan Singh Jamwal lauded the historical role of Maharaja Hari Singh under whose signatures the State became integral part of India but regretted that once again the Govt. has failed to respect the sentiments of the people by not declaring holiday on his birthday ignoring the popular demand of Dogras. He declared to support the struggle in this regard by any quarters.

Former Dy CM Tara Chand, former ministers Raman Bhalla, G. M Saroori, Mula Ram, former MLA Balwan Singh, PCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, general secretary Manmohan Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Mahila Congress president Indu Pawar (Ex-MLA); Balbir Singh (Ex-MLC), Vinod Sharma, Raqiq Khan (NSUI), Suresh Dogra (OBC), Members of Civil Society – KB Jandiyal, Col Karan Singh, YB Sharma, leaders of Sri Ram Sena), Varun Magotra (Jammu Dogra Warriors), Rajiv Singh Jamwal (Yuva Rajput Sabha), Mohinder Singh Katoch, Bodh Raj Bhagat (SC,ST,OBC Mahasabha), Raj Kumar Badyal, Ghulam Mohd, Sharik Saroori, Waseem Sajjad, Corporators and others also attended the protest dharna.