Kathua Police today restrained the NPP leaders and former Ministers, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh and Mr. Yash Paul Kundal from proceeding to Lakhanpur where the Action Committee was holding a dharna against installation of Toll Plaza and assault on a local youth yesterday by the goons of the Toll Plaza contractor. The NPP leaders who were headed towards Lakhanpur Plaza along with their party workers and supporters were stopped by the Police about 1 kilometer short of Lakhanpur Toll and disallowed from proceeding further. They were detained for several hours by the Police and let off later only to be sent back to Jammu.
The NPP leaders told the Kathua media that the Panthers Party was strongly opposed to the installation of multiple Toll Plazas in Jammu region and would continue to agitate for their removal against all odds.
Mr. Harsh Dev said that the NPP team was going to Lakhanpur to express its solidarity with the All Parties Toll Plaza Action Committee which was spearheading the agitation for disbanding the said Toll Plaza. He said that restraining the NPP leaders was unconstitutional and undemocratic act of the present regime who were hell-bent to suppress all critical voices. He said that disallowing peaceful protests was an assault on the Fight to Freedom of speech and expression guaranteed to all citizens of the country. The way the present regime was behaving was in total contrast with the fundamental liberties guaranteed to the people of this great nation. He said that extortion of people in the name of multiple Toll Plazas was totally unacceptable and would be opposed tooth and nail.
Mr. Yash Paul Kundal strongly condemned the assault on the local youth by goonda elements at Lakhanpur Toll Plaza. He said that BJP had penned down its own obituary by betraying the collective sentiment of Dogras.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Mr. Robin Sharma, Mr. Surinder Chouhan, Mr. Yash Paul Sharma, Parshotam Kumar, Satish Sharma, Sandeep, Rajesh Kanwal besides others.