Protesting Dharmarth Trust employees injured in Lathicharge

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Over 20 employees of Dharmarth Trust including women, got injured on Wednesday, when Police resorted to Lathicharge for foiling their protest near Civil Secretariat.
Carrying placards and raising slogans against J&K Government and Dharmarth Trust management, a large number of Dharmarth Trust employees, who are on protest for last 93 days and chain hunger-strike for last 66 days, demanding constitution of Board for all temples under Dharmarth Trust on the pattern of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, held a protest outside Ranbireshwar temple and blocked Parade-Shalamar road for an hour.
They alleged that J&K Government is least considerate towards their genuine demands and Dharmarth Trust management has adopted all measures to crush voice of striking employees. “President Dharmarth Trust Ajay Gandotra along with Secretary Gopal, Joint Secretary Varinder Singh and Manmohan Singh and others reached protest venue and forcefully removed vehicles of protesting Pandits and Pujaris from premises of Shri Ranbireshwar Temple. They further threatened them to stop agitation,” the employees alleged.
“We met SP city yesterday and apprised him that Dharmarth Trust management will try to crush our voice,” they said adding that police, instead of taking action against Dharmarth Trust management members, indulged in Lathicharge on innocent Pujaris and Pandits. They appealed to Lt Governor to intervene into the matter and fulfill his assurance at the earliest.
Later, President, Narendra Modi Vikas Mission, J&K UT, Poonam Sharma visited protest site and assured full support to protesting employees.
Those who sat on chain hunger-strike included Sneh Honda, Vaishno Devi, Savita Jamwal, Asha Sharma, Sheetal Kumari, Rita Sharma, Sonika, Neelam, Gargi and Savita Sharma.
The employees present during the protest included President DTEA Vivek Bandral, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Subash, Pt Parshotam, Pt Brijmohan Sharma, Pt Om Parkash, Pt Rampal, Pt Balwant Shastri, Vimal Khajuria, Sat Paul, Pawan, Deepu, Rinku, Makhnu, Jivan, Bushan, Sonali, Renu, Anju, Sheetal, Sonika, Sukeshni, Rita Salathia, Rekha, Ritu Devi, Harbans Lal, Surjeet Singh Slathia, Parshotam Sharma, Ram Paul Sharma, Jagjeet Chand, Sahil Sharma, Pt Babu Bishambar Lal, Raj Kumari, Leela Devi, Sheetal, Ritu Rajput, Jyoti, Sheela Devi, Savita Jamwal, Kanchan, Rajni, Nisha and Sonika.