A group of protesters interrupted the annual general meeting of Jalvayu Vihar Sahkari Awas Samiti (JVSAS), convened at the Noida Sector 21 community centre on February 13 to pass the budget.
The group consisted of incensed residents who had purchased flats in Jalvayu Vihar in sectors 21 and 25 but were denied the right to elect committee members. They held placards and shouted slogans, which was followed by a heated exchange with the ex-armymen.
"I am not entitled to elect the chairman, secretary or treasurer of the JVSAS, despite being a member. The membership was transferred to my name years ago, when I purchased the residence," said JS Yadav, one of the protesters.
Another protester, RS Bansal, said, “Why can’t we elect members of the Society's executive committee? Why doesn’t JVSAS want us to exercise our rights?”
However, Squadron Leader (retired) DP Goel, Chairman of JVSAS, said, "According to JVSAS’ bylaw, only Navy and Indian Air Force ex-personnel with society membership can have voting rights."
"We would have considered the demands of the protesters had they not disrupted the meeting," he added.
Dismissing Goel’s claim, Yadav pointed out that this was the seventh consecutive meeting where they were raising the issue. All their demands had fallen on deaf ears so far.
“If they want to take up our demand in earnest, what is holding them back?” he said, adding that had the media not been present this year, they would again have been driven away from the gates, their demands unaddressed.