Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah condemned the police action on protesting youth, who demanded the closure of the Sarore toll plaza on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway in Samba district.
Expressing concern over the brute use of force against protesting youth, Dr. Farooq said, “The youth were raising their voices against the toll collection at Lakhanpur, a practice that stands in blatant disregard of both standing guidelines and the assurances given by the Union Government. There is no justification for taxing people when the roads are in shambles and the damaged bridge is causing immeasurable inconvenience. No reachout was made to the protestors, contrarily they were roughed up and arrested. The police action and the attitude of the administration is highly condemnable. I implore the administration to release the youth immediately and address their concerns humanely.”
In addition, Dr Farooq has demanded immediate abolishment of the newly imposed Property Tax, as well as the illegal toll plaza at Sarore. He asserted that the presence of such a toll plaza is not only causing undue financial burden on the citizens but also reflects a failure of the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to address critical issues within the region.
