Cong seeks early polls, statehood

KATHUA : Congress activists today took out “Hath Se Hath Jodo' Yatra from Ram Leela Ground Kathua to Nagri Adda, to highlight the burning issues, especially to oppose property tax, bulldozer drive, price rise, unemployment, innocent killings and other problems faced by people, besides restoration of statehood and early assembly elections in J&K. Led by former Union Minister and AICC Incharge, ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo Yatra campaign in J&K', Bharat Singh Solanki, JKPCC president Vikar Rasool Wani, working president Raman Bhalla, Pankaj Dogra (Distt president Kathua), Narinder Gupta, Nirdosh Sharma and others, amidst raising slogans …‘ Property tax vapis Lo'.., ‘Bulldozer drive band karo”, “Mehnghai ko kabu karo kabu karo, Berozgari door karo, Masoomo ki Hatya band karo besides Nafrat Chhodo-Bharat Jodo,' the protestors carried placards, nation flags and party flags. They marched from Ram Leela Ground Kathua to Nagri Adda, along with hundreds of workers.
Addressing the gathering at Nagri Adda, Solanki said that the ‘Hath se Hath Jodo Yatra'- cum- agitation programme is the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra , which shall culminate at the end of this month, covering various districts and constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that there is a palpable economic crisis brewing – joblessness among the youth, unbearable price rise, severe farm distress, and a complete corporate capture of the country's wealth.”People are worried about losing their jobs, their incomes are falling further, and their dreams of a better future are shattering and there is a deep sense of hopelessness amongst the people and through this programme, Congress party is duty bound to highlight the various issues of people like imposition of property tax, snatching lands from poor through bulldozer, unprecedented price hike, record unemployment and other arbitrary orders of government,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Vikar Rasool Wani said through Hath Se Hath Jodo campaign / protests, Congress party will take its fight forward with a series of protests against the price rise and unemployment in the coming weeks. He said the people are suffering because BJP and the Congress will expose this before the people of the State. He lashed out at the Government for the unprecedented price rise of all commodities especially LP gas, petrol, diesel, eatables making difficult for the poor to survive. He demanded restoration of statehood and early assembly elections to restore democracy to solve people problems.
Working president Raman Bhalla launched a scathing attack on the Government, saying India was no longer a democracy, but a dictatorship. “India is witnessing the death of democracy. What India has built brick by brick, starting almost a century ago, is being destroyed in front of your eyes. Anybody who stands against this idea of onset of dictatorship is viciously attacked, jailed, arrested and beaten up,” Bhalla regretted. Prominent among those who participated included- Naresh Sharma, Subash Chander, Sahil Punia, Rajnish, Ajeet Basotra, Vikas, Narinder Khajuria, Paramjeet Singh, Arun Mehta, Vishal Andotra, Yog Raj, Jatin, Vinay Kumar, Tarsem Pal Saini, Mohinder Pal, Nek Mohd, Pawan Sharma and others.