SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh facing hostile crowd that hooted at him and heckled many of the people accompanying him. The incident took place when the BJP leaders arrived to pay their respects at the statute of the last Maharaja of Kashmir.
As Dr Singh started his speech, scores of young carrying the saffron flags resorted to massive sloganeering. They were shouting slogans against the BJP and the PDP. They named people in their slogans and were shouting shame shame, as well. The other slogans were Jai Jammu and Jai Rajputana. Though he continuyed speaking but the noises and hooting made him completely inuadible. He did nbotcompletehis speech and handed overthe cordless mike to Ajatshatru Singh.
It took serious effort by the BJP leaders to make some intervention. They were actually pushed hard and apparently it looked very difficult for them to stay standing. Finally, someone got some public address system and started speaking again. But they were hooted at. Hari Singh’s grandson Ajatshatru Singh briefly said that they had made a demand for declaring holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja abut it has not been accepted. He said everybody made an effort but it did not succeed.
Police had to made a real effort to get Dr Singh out of the huge angry crowd. They had to make a wall. When Dr Singh was finally saddled in his official car, members of teh crowd prevented it from moving for some time.
A J&K government spokesman, however, said that Dr Nirmal Singh, in presence of Speaker Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta today paid tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh on his 123rd birthday at a function here.
Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi, Vice Chairman, State Advisory Board for Development of Kissans Daljit Singh Chib, Chairperson, State Social Welfare Board (JKSSWB), Nirmal Gupta, Legislators, Devender Singh Rana, Ajatshatru Singh, Charanjit Singh Khalsa, Vikram Randhawa and Rajesh Guptaand representatives of various political, social and religious organizations also paid homage to Late Maharaja Hari Singh.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Nirmal Singh lauded the contribution of Maharaja Hari Singh towards welfare and development of J&K State. He said the Maharaja carried out development policies and reforms for amelioration of deprived segments of the society and “It was because of his statesmanship that today we are part of a great nation”, he added.
Highlighting the works performed and schemes implemented by Maharaja Hari Singh during his regime, the Speaker said that his contribution in socio-political and socio-economic reforms in the State for bringing the Jammu and Kashmir at par with other progressive states is highly laudable. He also lauded Maharaja for doing away with many social evils for the welfare of the public.
Speaking on the occasion, Priya Sethi remembered the selfless services rendered by Maharaja Hari Singh for betterment of the State. She said that Maharaja was a social reformer, a true patriot and a great visionary who worked for women education, banning of child marriage, abolishing of un-touchability, free education for all, promotion of widows marriage besides uplift of weaker sections of the society.
