STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Some activists of the Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) on Tuesday sat on a hunger strike here to press their demand for declaring a holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, on September 23.
The YRS activists led by their president Rajan Singh Happy assembled in front of Maharaja Hari Singh’s statue at the Tawi bridge in the heart of the city and began the hunger strike.
They were joined by leaders of various social and political organisations, including the IkkJutt Jammu, Shiv Sena and PDP. Team Jammu chairman Zorawar Singh Jamwal also joined the protest.
IkkJutt Jammu President Advocate Ankur Sharma along with his cadre today joined the ‘Dharna’ in support & solidarity of the just demand. “This movement will spiral out into a gigantic movement and will ultimately now end up getting Separate Statehood for Jammu,” he added.
Among present were General Secretary Ashwani Sharma, Ajay Saini, Vir Vikram, Manik Jamwal and many others.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had formed a four-member committee in January this year to look into their long-standing demand.
“We do not know the fate of the committee formed by the government on our demand for a public holiday as a tribute to our great Maharaja who was the one who made J&K the crown of India by signing the instrument of accession,” Happy told reporters.
“We will decide whether to continue or end the protest hunger strike later in the day. We are prepared to fight till our last breath to compel the government to announce a holiday on September 23 on the birth anniversary of the Maharaja,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Shiv Sena president Manish Sahni said the demand is linked to people’s sentiments.
“We have always stood shoulder to shoulder with YRS in support of the demand, he said and accused the BJP of betraying the people of Jammu and Kashmir.