Jammu, March 18
Expressing resentment against the introduction of permit system to enable Pakistanis enter Jammu and Kashmir through the Muzaffarabad road, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, a former Union Minister and BJP leader, today said any dilution of sovereignty of the country would not be tolerated and they would take to the streets if the government failed to convince how the system would benefit the country.

In a statement here, Mr Gupta said the UPA government at the Centre was adopting dangerous postures to win friendship with Pakistan.

He said the people-to-people contact between the two countries was appreciable, but it should not be allowed at the cost of the sovereignty of the country.

He said instead of pressuring Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism, false hope was being created that opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road would lead to peace between the two countries.

Violence and friendship could not go together and there was every possibility of Pakistan using the route to infiltrate terrorists in the valley, he said.

Mr Gupta added that the Congress leadership should take people into confidence over the issue.

Jammu, March 18
A Punjab police team rushed to the Kud resort in Jammu today to interrogate Rajinder Jain and his wife, who were arrested by the Jammu Kashmir police early this morning on the charge of submitting a forged and mutilated Bank draft for Rs 5,01,200 to a Maruti dealer in Pathankot for purchasing a black Esteem car.

The police said Rajinder Jain, who hailed from Jaipur, had phoned the general manager of Vehicleads, a Maruti car dealer in Pathankot, requesting him to keep one black Esteem car ready for which he would pay the money through a bank draft.

According to the police, it had earlier filed a case under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC, against Mohit Verma, the name mentioned in the draft by Rajinder Jain. He had informed the Maruti dealer that he belonged to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh and wanted to gift the car on the birthday to his wife Nisha Jain.

The general manager informed the police that Mohit Verma (Rajinder Jain) had come to the showroom late in the evening and after handing over the bank draft he took the car.

He said Verma did not wait for the insurance papers on the plea that he was late and would visit the showroom the next morning.

Two days later, when the Maruti dealer deposited the draft, the manager of the bank sent a note informing the dealer that the pay order No. 954983 dated March 7 favouring Vehicleads, Pathankot, was issued from the branch for Rs 50 only. The draft money had been paid by Mohit Verma.

When the dealer went in his search, the address given was found to be fake. The police then swung into action. Yesterday, the Vehicleads branch in Jammu came to know that Rajinder Jain was working at a local workshop and raided a house in Jammu city. However, on seeing some men knocking at the door, Nisha Jain managed to escape in the new car. Police nakas were set up on various highways and it was early this morning that the police post at Kud informed the control room in Jammu that Rajinder Jain and his wife had been arrested and the car impounded.

Accordingly, the Jammu police informed the police in Gurdaspur, where the case had been registered against Mohit Verma (Rajinder Jain) and a police party from Pathankot reached Kud and arrested Rajiner.

Since Rajinder had not given any photograph to the dealer at the time of purchasing the car, it became difficult for the police to establish his identity. The mobile number given by Jain was traced to a cell phone dealer in Pathankot, where his photograph was found and circulated to the police.

The police has established that Mohit (Rajinder Jain) had forged and mutilated the bank draft making Rs 50 into Rs 5,01,200.

Jammu, March 18
Amidst noisy scenes and protest by the Opposition against “backdoor” appointments by the Mufti government, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was today adjourned for over an hour.

The National Conference (NC) and other Opposition members, who have been protesting against such appointments for the past few days, virtually blocked the proceedings of the House and demanded a statement from the government. They were joined by the BJP and the JSM in the protest.

NC members staged dharna outside the Assembly in the morning and thereafter entered the House raising slogans against the PDP-Congress coalition government.

The Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, tried to restore order in the House but the Opposition members refused to relent and demanded a statement from the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, on the issue.

They pointed out that the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, had admitted in the House that there were discrepancies in the appointment of 150 persons in the Floriculture Department. However, Mr Sharma said Mr Baig could only clarify the matter when he comes to the House after recovering from illness.

The members continued to raise slogans and no proceedings could be held during the question hour.

Later, when the House reassembled, the NC members, including Mr Mehboob Beig and Mr Shariefuddin Sharik, said ministers of the coalition government were giving conflicting statements on the issue.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the views expressed by Mr Baig were his personal ones. However, NC members got agitated and Mr A.R. Rather, Leader of the Opposition, pointed out that Mr Baig gave the reply in the House on behalf of the government and not in his personal capacity.

The Opposition members also pointed out to a report published in a daily regarding some applications for various posts in the Social Welfare Department having been found in a dustbin.