KL News Network
Jammu
Keeping their respective party ideologies aside, the two sons of royal Dogra family, PDP’s Vikramaditya Singh and BJP’s Ajatshatru Singh, would not hesitate from spearheading an agitation if the state government does not declare September 23, the birthday of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, as state holiday.
The two grandsons of Dogra monarch Maharaja Hari Singh had managed to get a resolution passed in the upper house of state legislature during recently concluded budget session seeking declaration of September 23, the birthday of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, as state holiday. Both the opposition parties NC and Congress had stayed out of the house allowing the state government to pass the resolution with majority voice vote.
NC had later raised hue and cry over what they described as government’s deliberate ploy to keep them out of the house and get the resolution passed. The resolution which was moved by BJP MLC Ajatshatru Singh and seconded by his brother and PDP MLC Vikramaditya Singh was passed on January 24, 2017 and has now been forwarded to the General Administration Department (GAD) by the council secretariat. Rules stipulate that GAD has to put the same before the state government for taking a policy decision on the resolution in the state cabinet.
Confirming the same, Commissioner/Secretary GAD Khursheed Ahmed Shah said, “We have received the resolution from the legislative council as matter of routine. This is what I can say right now. Now, it is upto the state cabinet to take a decision on this resolution.” He refused to divulge any further details about the fate of the resolution.
However, it has been reliably learnt that both Vikramaditya Singh and Ajatshatru Singh are using all the channels to ensure that the resolution leads to state government issuing an order for declaring September 23 as state holiday. “Yes, we are following the resolution which has been passed in the upper house both within the government as well as outside. We are holding meeting both with the government officials as well as members of civil society,” said Kuljeet Singh Jamwal, a close aide of PDP MLC Vikramaditya Singh and President of Jammu Tigers, a social organization.
He added “We have taken on board almost all the important organizations of Jammu region. Right from Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) to all the socio-religious organizations, we have 22 organizations onboard, ready to be part of anything needed to ensure that the state government respects the spirit of the resolution passed in the upper house. This issue is about the pride of Jammu region and hence, we have support of all the parties including those sitting in the opposition over the issue. We are yet to come across someone as secular as Maharaja was.
When asked about the response of the state government, Kuljeet Singh Jamwal said “So far, it is positive. But let us see what happens when the proposal is brought before the state cabinet for taking a decision. We are sure we won’t be forced to take the route of agitation for getting our demand fulfilled.” He asserted that the two brothers, though divided by ideology, are unanimous over the issue of declaration of September 23, the birthday of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, as state holiday.
