By News Agency of Kashmir
Kishtwar : Bhartiya Janta Party and Sanatham Dharam Saba has given Kishtwar Bandh call for Tuesday March 11 in protest against the alleged damage to a historical temple by GRIEF authorities.
Addressing a press conference, here today, Sanatham Dharam Sabha district president Brij Mohan Dubey alleged that the GRIEF authorities despite several requests have failed to repair the historical temple at Bindrabal on Kishtwar-Chatroo Highway which has created a great resentment among the community in the entire district.
“The temple is more than 200 years old and some prints of Pando’s time are also clearly visible in the temple”, Dubey said adding, “The GRIEF authorities during the expansion work of National Highway blasted a big bolder on the Highway, which led to damage to the temple building”.
He said that GRIEF authorities had entered into an agreement with the Sanstha that they would repair the building in case the blasting resulted into damage to the temple building. “However, now the authorities have turned a blind eye on the damage and were now hell bent to implicate the community leaders in false and frivolous cases”.
Coming down heavily upon the district administration, BJP leader Sunil Sharma alleged that some senior officers in the civil administration were hand in glove with the GRIEF authorities due to their vested interests and were deliberately creating unrest among the community in the district.
“We will observe a complete shut down in Kishtwar on Tuesday in protest against the damage to the temple building and callous attitude of the local administration”, Mr Sharma said adding, “In case our demands were not fulfilled and repair work of the temple building is not taken on war footing we will intensify our agitation, which may also include stopping of all the construction works being executed by the GRIEF in the district”.
The leaders also appealed people belonging to all the communities to support the just and genuine demand. “If it is temple today the GRIEF authorities may target any religious place in the future and silence of the people at this crucial juncture will strengthen such elements in the district”, Temple Committee representative Subhash Sharma said.
He further criticized the police and civil administration for registering a criminal case against the community leaders on false and frivolous grounds. “We will not come under any pressure by the police and civil administration which is hell bent to curb the voice of the people”.