J-K deputy CM Nirmal Singh heckled by Dogra members

J-K Deputy CM Nirmal Singh

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh was on Saturday heckled by Dogra community members over the state government’s “failure” to declare Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary as a state holiday. The deputy chief minister was speaking at a function after paying floral tributes to Maharaja, the last Hindu ruler of the state, on his birth anniversary on Saturday.

Scores of people, including youths wearing black T-shirts and carrying saffron flags, raised slogans against Singh and the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. The protesters gheroed Singh and some of them heckled him.

The minister had to cut short his speech and was escorted out by a large contingent of police. The protesters also demanded the minister’s resignation and accused the BJP of doing “dis-service” to the Jammu region.

“BJP has done dis-service to Jammu, which gave them 25 seats. They have failed to address one of the major aspirations of the Dogras. Despite passage of a resolution, the BJP could not facilitate a holiday on Maharaja’s birthday. It is a shame,” Sumit Singh, one of the protestors, said.

The Dogra community members also blocked the deputy CM’s cavalcade. The city saw dozens of pro-Maharaja rallies today.