Ahead of the call for Jammu bandh on Saturday, the Union Territory Administration Friday fielded two senior most officers of the Jammu division to cool down the tempers and prevent any flare up as the situation remained volatile following continued detention of Yuva Rajput Sabha leaders.
In the absence of their release from the police custody since Monday evening, a large number of their supporters launched an indefinite hunger strike during day long Samba bandh on Friday.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu (CCIJ) had on Thursday given a call for a bandh on August 26 to protest against the installation of smart electricity metres in Jammu. The traders have also demanded that the process of collection of toll on the highway in Samba district be kept in abeyance.
“We have given a bandh call in Jammu on Saturday. Jammu will be shut down. I want the entire Jammu region to observe a bandh. All organisations are with us,” CCIJ President Arun Gupta had earlier said.
In Jammu Additional Director General of Police Jammu range Mukesh Singh while addressing a joint press conference along with Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar made it clear that the Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) leaders were arrested for breach of peace.
He said that the detained leaders can only be released only after getting assurance that they would not breach the peaceful atmosphere again. At least 27 of its activists were detained for violating restrictions around the 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 the Samba district, claiming that it was illegally set up to collect toll fees from the common people.
As far as the release of YRS leaders is concerned, ADGP Mukesh Singh Friday said that “… prominent people should come forward and give a guarantee that the peace will not be breached again. No issues, they can be released in the matter
At the same time, the local leaders of the Bharatiya Janta Party continue to face heat over undue delay caused in sorting out the genuine grievances of commuters and power consumers.
Referring to hunger strike in Samba, Singh said that “The causes of hunger strike are being addressed that is why the NHAI team is coming (to Samba-Kathua) to look into the issues raised by the people.
Yesterday, the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had chaired a high-level meeting addressing the grievances of Toll Plaza at Sarore.
To address the grievances of the transport association, Jammu Bar Association, local BJP leaders or everyone’s concern was considered, and accordingly, the matter was taken up with the Government of India.
“I and Divisional Commissioner Jammu were also part of that meeting.”