Jammu observes complete bandh on day 3

Bandh extended by 3 days; Section 144 imposed

03/08/2015

JAMMU, Aug 2: Jammu today observed a total shutdown for the third consecutive day over the persisting AIIMS issue while some of the protesting leaders of Congress including former minister were also detained here.
The winter capital and its peripheries for the third day observed complete bandh demanding separate AIIMS for Jammu.
The bandh call was given by the Coordination Committee on AIIMS, which is spearheading the agitation blaming BJP for befooling the people of Jammu and not getting AIIMS sanctioned despite the written assurance by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh.
Meanwhile all business establishments remained closed. The agitation is also supported by the traders and transporters. The AIIMS CC had also rejected Centre’s proposal of having AIIMS like facilities in both the regions demanding full fledged institution.
However, some of the Congress leaders including former minister Sham Lal Sharma were detained this morning while staging protest against the BJP.
The district administration had already imposed Section 144 of CrPC in view of law and order situation, which was defied by the Congress.
Congress leaders including former minister Sham Lal Sharma were detained this morning while staging protest against the BJP.
The transport also remained off the roads due to which the commuters especially the pilgrims suffered.
The Coordination Committee this evening have to decide the further course of action regarding the bandh.
However some youth pelted stones at police in Purani Mandi area of old city this afternoon, police said.
Police resorted to minor tear gas shelling to disperse the stone-pelting youth.
"The situation was brought under control," a police officer said, adding no one was injured.
Business establishments, market places and shop remained closed generally and public transport was off the roads in view of the 72-hour bandh call given by the AIIMS Coordination Committee (ACC) which is spearheading the agitation for an AIIMS in Jammu. The bandh began on Friday morning.
Protesters blocked the highway and various roads in the city by burning tyres, police sources said.
Meanwhile, BJP Minister Chander Prakash Ganga faced a difficult situation when his cavalcade was surrounded by a large number of protesters at Tawi Bridge.
He faced slogans against him and BJP Ministers before security personnel came to his rescue.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Coordination Committee on Sunday decided to extend the 'bandh' called for demanding a separate AIIMS hospital in Jammu by 72 hours.
"In the core committee meeting the decision was unanimous that since the demand of coordination committee for announcement and sanctioning of separate independent AIIMS for Jammu has not been met, so the members of the coordination committee were of the opinion that this 'bandh' call should be given an extension of 72 hours," AIIMS Coordination Committee president, Abhinav Sharma, told said.
"So Jammu will observe further 'bandh' of 72 hours commencing tomorrow till August 5," he added.
In the wake of an extension of Jammu bandh by the AIIMS Coordination Committee, section 144 of CrPC has been imposed here by the authorities, prohibiting assembly of more than four people at any place.
"In connection with Jammu Bandh by AIIMS Coordination Committee (ACC), District Magistrate Jammu has imposed restrictions on assemble of any group comprising four or more people to refrain them from taking out any rally, procession in Municipal limits of all Tehsils of Jammu districts, including the limits of JMC Jammu," an official spokesman said.
He said the prohibition will remain in force till further orders and failure to comply with it will lead to prosecution under 188 of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
ACC, the group spearheading the agitation for setting up of an AIIMS here, extended the Jammu bandh by 72 hours today.
Meanwhile, the AIIMS CC in a press release said The utter failure of the untrustworthy and mischievous elements to make mockery of the sentiments of people of Jammu region and not announcing a full-fledged AIIMS for the region has forced the AIIMS CC to extend the Bandh by another three days up to August 5, said Chairman AIIMS CC and President JKHCBA, Jammu, Abhinav Sharma, while addressing a hurriedly convened joint press conference at Press Club of Jamm, here this evening.
“The AIIMS CC had hoped that the massive response the Bandh call evoked across Jammu Province would make the insensitive BJP to read the writing on wall, but it was not to be. The BJP yet again betrayed the people of Jammu region by taking recourse to white lies calculated to hoodwink and mislead them,” said Abhinav Sharma and added, We understand BJP’s deception and mischief .
AIIMS CC chairman explained that the AIIMS Act does not allow what the Union Health Minister J P Nadda tweeted on July 30th and what the cornered BJP Ministers here in J&K are trying to make the people of Jammu understand. No AIIMS in India can ever have two Presidents, two Vice-Chancellors, two Governing Bodies and two Directors. What they are saying is the gross violation of the Act and an act of criminal disinformation. Nowhere in India has the AIIMS been divided into two parts, two campuses because it will defeat the very purpose of the Institution, he said, adding that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Act 2012 clearly says that to establish an AIIMS in any state, it is mandatory to issue a notification clearly specifying the place and the state where AIIMS is to be established.
Breaking AIIMS Institution into parts and dispersing the parts in various parts of the state defeat the very purpose of Medical Research Institution, said Abhinav Sharma, adding that AIIMS has three specific components-Research, Medical Education and Healthcare facilities. The BJP Ministers have only made a mockery of themselves and exposed their abject ignorance of the issue, he further said.
Lambasting the BJP leadership in the state as well as at the Centre, Abhinav Sharma advised the competent authorities in New Delhi to make a simple announcement and issue a notification as required by the Act that they shall establish AIIMS in Jammu in the current financial year without indulging in vague and misleading statements. This is must to defuse the potentially dangerous situation in the region.
Commending the enthusiasm and wholehearted support of the people of Jammu to the cause of Jammu, AIIMS CC chairman said this is people’s movement which no power on earth can defeat and they want the movement to be taken to its logical conclusion . He reassured the people of Jammu region that the AIIMS CC will come up to their expectations and not let them down as the BJP did in a most ugly manner. He appealed to the people to expose the black sheep so that Jammu region is cleared of all anti-Jammu elements.
Meanwhile in an emergency and urgent meeting convened at Chamber House the Presidents and General Secretaries of all major Bazars / Traders Associations / Industrialists unanimously urged to the President CCI Rakesh Gupta to extend the Bandh by 72 hours unless and until the Government / Administration produces an authentic document to support the claim of setting up of an independent AIIMS at Jammu
Among others who were present during the press conference including President Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Jammu, Rakesh Gupta, Chairman All J&K Passenger Transport Welfare Association, Sardar Trilochan Singh Wazir, retd Sessions Judge and president JPPF, Pavitar Singh, Professor Hari Om Mahajan, President Amar Kashtriya Rajput Sabha, Narayan Singh and Sr vice-president CCI, Jammu, Sham Lal Langar and President Two By Two Buses Association, Mohinder Singh.
Meanwhile, those who sat on chain hunger strike today included members of Doordarshan Approved Artists
Association namely Madan Rangila, Sandesh Vir, Rajinder Mangotra, Janak Khajuria, Sanjeev Nirdosh, K D Koul, Harbans Sharma, Vijay Magotra, Vikas Kohli, Mrs Shammi Malhotra, Shiv Dutt Sharma, Rajinder
Narang, K D Koul and Kuldeep Sharma.

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