Jammu, 17 July (H.S.): Congress today held a strong protest demonstration at Malpur near Akhnoor against the proposed Toll Plaza on Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch highway, raising strong slogans against BJP led Central Govt for imposing huge taxes on the common people in Jammu region.

Led by senior Congress leader and former MLA Th Balwan Singh and accompanied by Th Balbir Singh (Ex-MLA), chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma besides senior Congress leader Neeraj Gupta and Block presidents Jang Bahadur Sharma and Ch. Babu Khan, the protesters held a strong demonstration near the site of the upcoming Toll Plaza and raised strong slogans against the BJP and Central Govt, demanding rollback of the decision to install Toll Plaza at the site which is against the norms and the interests of the common people. They held the protests and dharna for over an hour on the highway at the site.

Speaking on the occasion Balwan Singh and others said that BJP Govt at the Centre is fleecing the people of Jammu region by installing Toll Plazas at number of places against the norms and the guidelines laid down by the High Courts and the Supreme Court in this regard, as the highway is under construction at number of places between Akhnoor-Sunderbani-Rajouri and Poonch.

Balwan Singh charged the BJP of looting the people of Jammu Region by imposing Toll tax at number of places and charging toll even on the incomplete road projects, thus fleecing the people including the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishnol Devi Ji and Shri Amar Nath Ji.

He also blamed BJP of double standards, as they opposed the Toll Plazas while in opposition but now facilitating and imposing huge Toll tax on the people on the under construction roads, which is great injustice to the common people. He questioned the BJP, its MPs and 28 MLAs for maintaining criminal silence on the plight of the people of Jammu after taking huge public mandate.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar