SDM office row: Janjehli residents sit on hunger strike

Tribune News Service

Mandi, February 19

Demanding that the SDM office be restored to Janjehli, people of Janjehli and its nearby panchayats sat on a chain hunger strike to raise their voice. Earlier today people gathered under the banner of Seraj Sangharsh Samiti and they took out a protest march.

Jagdish Reddi, president, block Congress and a member of Seraj Sangharsh Samiti, said the chain hunger strike would continue until the government does not take a decision in favour of public.

“The people are demanding restoration of the SDM office at Janjehli, which was opened during the Congress regime to facilitate the people of this region”, he added.

The High Court had directed the state government to cancel the notification of the SDM office at Janjehli and a sub tehsil at Chhatri. Protests erupted in the region because people alleged that the state government did not represent their case in the court effectively.

After the High Court direction, the state government cancelled the notification of the SDM office at Janjehli and issued fresh notification, in which it granted subdivision status to Thunag, which added the fuel to political turmoil.

People held massive protests and burnt the effigies of the Chief Minister during the last few days, which prompted the High Court to direct the state government and the police department to take effective steps to maintain law and order situation.

Some miscreants spread rumour yesterday that Section 144 had been imposed in six gram panchayats of Janjheli area to provoke area residents to held violent protests against the district administration and police.

Superintendent of Police Mandi Gurdev Chand Sharma has urged the people not to believe on rumours, which may create disharmony. Deputy Commissioner Mandi Rugved Thakur also clarified on Facebook page of the district administration that it was just rumor spread by some miscreants.