JAMMU: Activists of the Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) on Tuesday blocked the busy Tawi bridge here to demand public holiday on the birth anniversary of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, causing traffic jam in the city that lasted for hours.
The protest was staged when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reached Jammu on the second leg of her two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir and was scheduled to attend a function at nearby University of Jammu along with Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
The birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh is celebrated on October 23. Dozens of YRS activists assembled in front of the Maharaja’s statue at Tawi bridge and blocked both sides of the road and chanted slogans in support of their long-pending demand, officials said.
Senior civil and police officials rushed to the scene and made a vain effort to persuade the protesters to disperse.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, who was also caught in the snarl while on his way to a function, met the protesters and assured them that his party had already taken up the issue with the Lt Governor.
“Maharaja is close to our heart and we have already taken up the issue with the government as this is a long-pending demand of the Dogras of Jammu,” he said.
Raina faced slogans like “we do not want false promises” as YRS activists asked the party to fulfil its assurance of a public holiday on the birth anniversary of the Maharaja.
“We will wait and if the government fails to announce a public holiday on the birth anniversary of the Maharaja, we will block Tawi bridge on his birthday next year and will intensify our agitation,” a YRS spokesperson said before leaving the scene.
The protest brought normal life to a standstill as commuters looked for alternate routes to reach their destinations due to the massive traffic snarls, officials said, adding traffic police had a tough time in restoring the normal movement of traffic.PTI
