Jammu students irked over change in name of cable car project

JAMMU: After public outcry, including a vociferous campaign by BJP over alleged attempt by the-then National Conference -Congress regime in 2014 to change the name of Mubarak Mandi-Bahu Fort cable car project in Jammu, it is now the turn of PDP-BJP government to be at the receiving end of backlash. The present dispensation, in a government notification, has used the word Shahabad for the Mubarak Mandi-Bahu Fort cable car project .

A notice issued on March 17 this year to invite tenders for construction of much-hyped and much delayed cable car project has no mention whatsoever of Mubarak Mandi and Bahu Fort.

A part of it reads, “Construction of wall on entry side of Shahabad station of cable car project at Shahabad, Jammu”. Rajeev Charak, state in-charge of the training wing of the BJP and president of Bahu Fort Development Committee said, “The people of Jammu shall not tolerate change in the nomenclature of Bahu Fort.Kaul called it a part of grand strategy to “de-stabilize” Jammu region on the same lines as it was done in Kashmir. Following uproar in Jammu in 2014, J&K Cable Car Corporation on March 5 that year clarified the issue in an official handout that the name of the cable car project was “Peerkhoo to Bahu Fort”.The corporation said that the take-off point will be near Peer Kho Temple Shrine and the landing point will be near Bahu Fort. Meanwhile, students belonging to (NPSU) gathered at Jammu University and raised slogans against the state government for hurting the sentiments of Jammuites. The protesters also burnt an effigy of the government. Virender Singh the state president of NPSU said that government is trying to distort the history of Dogras which shall not be allowed. JKPCC spokesperson Ravinder Sharma reacted strongly to reports about the change in the nomenclature of Bahu Fort cable car project and suspected it a “deliberate attempt” to foment trouble on the eve of Amarnath Yatra.