Panel formed for R-Day functions
JAMMU, Jan 22 — The state government has constituted a 22-member committee under the chairmanship of Minister for Higher Education, Mr Abdul Qayoom to make arrangements for the Republic Day celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP activists court arrest
JAMMU, Jan 22 — More than 100 Bharatiya Janata Party activists were arrested near the Ranbishewar temple here today while staging a protest demonstration against recent hike in power tariff, toll tax and hospital fee.

Panel formed for R-Day functions
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 22 — The state government has constituted a 22-member committee under the chairmanship of Minister for Higher Education, Mr Abdul Qayoom to make arrangements for the Republic Day celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The government has assigned the task of unfurling the national flag at provincial, district and tehsil level to Cabinet ministers, ministers of state, parliamentary secretaries and legislators, including those belonging to the Opposition parties.

The Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, will preside over the main function in Jammu, the Minister for Flood Control, Mr Ali Mohammed Sagar, will unfurl the tricolour in Srinagar.

As per the list issued by the government, six Cabinet ministers, including the senior-most member in the Cabinet, Mr Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah have been excluded. They have not been assigned the task of presiding over the Republic Day functions.

Those excluded from the duty include the Law Minister, Mr P.L. Handoo, the Housing Minister, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, Minister for Parks and Gardens, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah.

Eleven ministers of state and two parliamentary secretaries have been given the task of unfurling the national flag at different places in the state.

In the light of threat from various militant outfits during the Republic Day functions, more than 10,000 men of the police, paramilitary forces and the Army have been put on duty.

BJP activists court arrest

JAMMU, Jan 22 (PTI) — More than 100 Bharatiya Janata Party activists were arrested near the Ranbishewar temple here today while staging a protest demonstration against recent hike in power tariff, toll tax and hospital fee.

While the police said 102 persons were taken into custody, the general secretary of the BJP’s city unit, Mr Mohan Lal Gupta, claimed that more than 150 BJP activists, including senior leaders, had courted arrest. Five received minor injuries when the police cane-charged them.

About 300 BJP workers, led by city unit president Sat Paul Grover, took out a procession from party headquaters as part of the third phase of the agitation against the Jammu and Kashmir Government decision.

The police resorted to a cane charge when the demonstrators tried to defy the prohibitory orders.

Later, the processionists reassembled near the temple and more than 150 of them courted arrest.