In show of strength, Lal Singh to hold I-Day event

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 13

Former minister and BJP MLA Choudhary Lal Singh on Monday announced that he would organise a parallel Independence Day function on Wednesday to show his strength. He said the rich Dogra culture would be showcased in the first-of-its-kind event in the Jammu region.

“We are fighting for the rights of the ethnic Dogra minority of J&K and on this Independence Day, a separate function will be held in Jammu to show our strength, rich culture and heritage,” Lal Singh said while addressing a press conference here on Monday.

The function will be held at Government Higher Secondary School, Satwari. The official function of Independence Day will, however, be held at Mini Stadium, Parade.

He said painting the whole Dogra community as pro-rapist in the Kathua rape-murder case was part of the deep-rooted conspiracy to demonise the ethnic minority.

Lal Singh, who floated the Dogra Swabhiman Sanghathan on July 22, said the Kathua case should be handed over to the CBI. “PDP ministers in the previous regime wanted to hide the truth so they opposed the CBI probe,” he said.

Lal Singh appealed to the people to go on a mass leave on September 23, the birth anniversary of last Dogra Ruler Maharaja Hari Singh. On the parallel I-Day function, Lal Singh said besides cultural programmes representing Dogra culture, stalls selling Dogri food would be set up at the venue.