Residents’ stir for CUHP enters 3rd day

Our Correspondent

Kangra, May 5

The agitation by the Central University Sangarsh Morcha (CUSM) demanding the setting up of Central University of Himachal Pradesh at Dehra entered the third day here today. Residents held a protest rally in the town and three persons sat on a chain hunger strike.

The residents gathered at Tehsil Chowk in the town and took out a protest march through main markets of the town. The protesters reached the Shaheed Samarak after the rally.

The CUSM gave a call to the business community of Dehra to join the protest rally every day at 10 am and a meeting of members of the CUSM and the Beopar Mandal was held. At the meeting, it was decided that the entire business community would be joining the agitation daily in the morning.

Pawan Sharma, coordinator of the CUSM said the agitation was gathering momentum and people from all walks of life were joining it as it was in the interest of Dehra. He said the agitation would continue till the approval for CUHP at Dehra was given.

He said Deshbandu Sharma, state coordinator of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Dehra District Congress Committee chief Nardev Kanwar, district president of the Arya Samaj Capt Subhash Sharma and District Congress Kisan Cell chief Brijesh Pathania also joined the agitation.

The ruling Congress seems divided on the issue with a section of the Congress supporting that CUHP should be set up at Jadrangal as proposed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. On the other hand, Dehra District Congress Committee chief Nardev Kanwar supported the setting up of CUHP at Dehra.

At a press conference at Jawalamukhi, Nardev said the Dehra Congress would support the agitation. He said a resolution, passed by the Congress, was sent to the HRD Ministry.