Jammu, August 25, 2022: Keeping in view the frequent protests and rallies on the four Tawi bridges in Jammu , the District Magistrate Jammu Avni Lavasa today issued an order through which ‘Section 144’ of the Indian Constitution is imposed on the four Tawi bridges for two months and violation of which by anyone will attract strict action.
The Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 3282 of 2020 has directed that the occupation of public ways for protests is not acceptable and the administration should take action to keep such areas clear of encroachments or obstructions.
While the imposition of Section 144Â has irked the members of ‘Yuva Rajput Sabha’ who are staging protest from the past two days on the Tawi bridge near the Dogra chowk demanding a holiday in the whole UT to observe the birth anniversary of Maharaj Hari Singh every year.
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Speaking to the media Zorawar Singh Jamwal Chairman Press club Jammu said that it is disheartening to see that members of ‘Yuva Rajput Sabha’ are being restricted here to stage protest peacefully or any other organizations who want to do hold protests. The members of YRS are filled with nationalistic zeal who are only protesting for the declaration of Maharaja’s Holiday on 23th of September every year.
He further said that the govt should re-consider its decision of imposing ‘Section 144’ on the Tawi Bridges as people are only staging protests in peaceful manner.
“A sub-clause of ‘ Section 144’ says that it cannot exceed limit of public restriction more than one/two months and the constitution has given the state govt the power to revoke/modify imposition of Section 144 but why it is not doing here. The central govt talks high of ‘Satyameva jayate’ (Truth alone triumphs), but when the local people use to raise their voices for their issues the govt then puts restrictions on them”, a local advocate Ms Durrani said.
She further said that during the ‘Ramlila’ incident case judgement it was said that restriction on public movement can be only put in unruly situations, but here in this case the protestors are not carrying weapons or creating pandemonium and only are agitating peacefully then why the govt is imposing Section 144 here against them.
“Article 19(a) of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and its another clause permits peaceful assemblage of people in public places, then why the govt is adamant on restricting local people”, she added.
“This is hypocrisy not democracy which is in operation here, as we are only demanding a holiday on Maharaja’s name and the riots use to happen only when the police uses force against the people”, she further added.
Aman Zutshi
