Jammu BJP chief sits on 48-hour 'satyagrah' against corruption

Flanked by the state party leadership, BJP state chief Shamsher Singh Manhas sat on a 48-hour satyagrah (Fast) at Dogra Chowk in the city on the eve of the 143th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

"The satyagarh is aimed to highlight the rampant corruption and scams in the state in general and Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam in particular because it involves persons occupying highest positions in ruling hierarchy," Manhas told reporters here.

"Despite repeated pleas by BJP, the NC-Congress coalition government has refused to hand over the case to CBI, which further increases the element of suspicion," party's national executive member and spokesperson Jitendra Singh said.

The situation has now deteriorated to such an extent that Jammu and Kashmir was being described as the "most corrupt state" in the country, he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) along with scores of panches and sarpanches today held sit-ins in Jammu and Udhampur districts demanding implementation of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the State Panchayat Raj Act to empower Panchayats in the state.

Over 100 sarpanches and panches under the banner of Panchayat Empowerment Committee (PEC) and JKNPP today held protest demonstrations in support of their demand.

"We demand implementation of 73rd and 74th amendment in Panchayat Raj Act in J&K to empower our panchayats. Congress, PDP and BJP, JKNNP is fully backing it and only NC is against it", member of PEC Shamsher Singh told reporters here.