Jammu curfew again after clashes

BY SHUCHISMITA

Jammu

Aug. 25: Renewed violence amid the 12-hour chakka jam call of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (SAYSS) in the entire Jammu region forced the administration to reimpose curfew in Kathua district. However, there was no relaxation in curfew in Poonch district on Monday.

During the chakka jam observed from 6 am to 6 pm on call of the samiti, spearheading the agitation on the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) land row, many parts of Jammu district also witnessed violent incidents of arson and stone-pelting. At some places the protesters, which even did not allow the private vehicles to ply, even burnt police vehicles.

The protesters torched one police truck at Jammu-Akhnoor road near Domana.

The administration clamped curfew in Kathua after the protesters went berserk at Mukherji Chowk in retaliation to what it described as the security forces’ repressive tactics against them.

To quell the protesters taking out a peaceful demonstration at National Highway at Digiana, Satwari, the police even resorted to lathicharge and lobbed tear smoke shells.

The police even lobbed tear smoke shells inside the houses at Digiana, thus caused injuries to some children. This enraged protesters, who then even tried to disrupt the vehicular movement and tried to ransack the police post at Digiana.

Heavy stone-pelting was witnessed at Purani Mandi, Janipur.

Later in the evening, the protesters also pelted stones at the residence of ex-MLA of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Shanti Devi, at Shastri Nagar.

Her PSOs started firing to disperse the crowd.

This created tension in the area. Senior police officers immediately rushed to the spot. The situation was tense till the last reports poured in.

In the violence across Jammu region, over 100 sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, the samiti has extended the bandh call also till August 31.

Besides, it has announced to hold a massive rally on August 27 at Parade Ground, Jammu. The Jammu Bar Association also decided to abstain from the courts till August 31.