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Jammu bandh call for August 26 over Sarore toll plaza, pre-paid smart meters
On Friday, Congress, National Conference, Apni Party, Democratic Progressive Azad Party and Panthers Party staged protests outside Kathua jail seeking release of 26 Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) activists and suspending Sarore toll plaza and smart meters immediately
Social, trading, political and religious organisations and Jammu and Kashmir high court bar association have extended support to the Bandh call for Saturday by Jammu Chamber of Commerce over the Sarore toll plaza and pre-paid smart meters.
However, transporters’ association has decided to stay away from the bandh.
On Friday, Congress, National Conference, Apni Party, Democratic Progressive Azad Party and Panthers Party staged protests outside Kathua jail seeking release of 26 Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) activists and suspending Sarore toll plaza and smart meters immediately.
Sporadic protests continued in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur Akhnoor and Pargwal. YRS leaders said on Friday that they will ensure a complete bandh.
“We have taken up the cause of the people but the administration has adopted an autocratic stance, arresting 26 of our leaders,” a YRS leader said.
The YRS leaders were taken into custody on Monday.
The toll plaza at Sarore, Samba district is 13 kmsfrom Jammu city on Jammu-Pathankot national highway (NH44) and 38 km from Ban toll plaza in Nagrota on Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH 44).
J&K high court bar association president Vikram Sharma said, “We have extended support to the bandh call on Saturday. The lawyers will abstain from work in all the courts, tribunals, commissions and forums.”
J&K transport welfare association chairperson Ajit Singh said though they are in support of the people of Jammu, they will give the administration till August 31 to resolve the issues. He said that the association will go on an indefinite strike of the demands are not met by then.
Samba residents have launched a hunger strike at Samba Chowk over the demands.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MY Tarigami said, “Installation of smart meters and the toll plaza will increase financial stress on people. The administration must ensure affordable electricity and desist from pursuing anti-poor policies”
Jammu region’s divisional commissioner Ramesh Kumar and additional director general of police Mukesh Singh tried to address the apprehensions of the people at a press conference on Friday.
Ramesh Kumar listed administrations’s initiatives in allaying the apprehensions of the people about smart meters.
“The lieutenant governor has already taken up the issue with National Highways Authority of India and a team will visit the plaza soon,” Kumar said. The ADGP said that the YRS leaders were arrested for breach of peace.
