After YRS protest, Samba admin imposes sec 144 around Sarore Toll Plaza on Jmu-Pkt highway

Anisur Rahman Niloy

Jammu, Aug 21 (KNO): The district administration Samba has imposed section 144 around Sarore Toll Plaza for the protesters on Jammu-Pathankot highway and removed the agitating volunteers of Yuva Rajput Sabha from Toll Plaza site.

Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), section 144 was imposed by District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma, following which police vehicles made announcement and appealed the protesting Yuva Rajput Sabha activists to vacate the toll plaza, where they were protesting since afternoon.

Sources said that the restriction was specifically imposed on protests and assembly of people and not on normal traffic. However, YRS reluctant to comply with prohibition orders compelled police to forcibly remove the protesters and detained many of their leaders.

Earlier, carrying tri-colour and organisational flags, hundreds of YRS activists marched towards Sarore Toll Plaza in various parts of Jammu. The protesters tried to uproot the toll booth. Some unidentified persons in the rally also pelted stones on the cabins at the Toll Plaza, damaging the glasses.

“We will not be on stop protesting until the government issues an immediate order regarding suspension of toll plaza,” said a leader of Yuva Rajput Sabha.

The members staged an indefinite sit-in at the toll site and said, “Dogra community never surrenders and will fight for our rights till the last breath.”

The locals said, “Toll is paid for maintenance of road but when the connectivity is worst, why it has to be paid. The government should immediately suspend it.”

Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces were made at the site while administrative officials were also present to pacify the protesters.

The activists sat on dharna at tax plaza and issued a fresh ultimatum to the administration to suspend collection of toll at Sarore Plaza in new two days in view of poor road condition and damaged bridge at Dayalachak.

Pertinently, the traffic on Jammu-Pathankot national highway is affected from July 19 after the bridge on Tarnah Nallah near Dayalachak suffered damages due to overflowing of the Ujh River. The traffic however, has been diverted towards the border village to connect it with the highway near Chadwal—(KNO)