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| BJP,VHP leaders arrested enroute to Kishtwar. Jaitley to reach today | | Curfew continues in Kishtwar, Govt imposes 'restrictions' on media | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Kishtwar, Aug 10: Barring few incidents of protest and violence, the situation in Kishtwar District remained normal a day after curfew was imposed in the town and army was called in following Friday's clashes in township. Uneasy calm prevailed in Kishtwar town as army (8 RR and 17 RR) and police held joint march in sensitive areas of the town where the rioters vandalized public property beside resulting into injury to over 50 persons including over two dozen police personnel. Senior police officers and government functionaries are campaigning in Kishtwar District along with MoS Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo to monitor the situation. As a damage control measure, after government ordered of attachment of DC Kishtwar Saleem Mohammad Chowdhary and SSP Sunil Gupta with immediate effect, newly replaced Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Basir Ahmed Khan and Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kotwal assumed their charge in the morning. In addition to Rs 5 lac compensation to the kin of the deceased persons, government has already ordered high level probe headed by Divisional Commissioner Jammu Shant Mannu to probe into the communal clashes. Amid tense situation, last rites of both the deceased persons Arvind Kumar and Bashir Ahmed were performed in the evening today after administration handed over the dead bodies to the family members soon after the legal formalities were completed. In another development, reports from different quarters suggested Omar Abdullah government imposed restrictions amounting to gagging media as officials did not allow any TV and other media personnel to move inside Kishtwar town. Correspondents of CNN-IBN and NDTV were allegedly forced to return back to Srinagar from Sangrabata village of the District, while that of Times Now was not allowed to move outside Dak Banglow Kishtwar. Correspondents of Indian Express and IBN 7 too were not allowed to move Patnitop onwards.
In fresh flare up, clashes were seen people hailing from minority community in Kijaie village of Atholi in Padder Tehsil resulting into injury to nearly half dozen people and among them 3 critically injured persons have received bullet injuries. Administration was making arrangements to shift them to GMC Jammu from Atholi Primary Health center when last reports came. The eyewitness alleged that VDC members open fired on them resulted into the injuries. The mob also put some houses on fire before police and army rushed to the affected village and controlled the situation. The locals alleged that the administration has already been informed about the threat and vulnerability of clashes in and around Padder having, but both administration and police failed to safe guard the families. The unconfirmed reports said that the ding dong battle between the police and public was continuing when the reports last came in as police and army has erected less barricades and on few roads leading to various localities habitated by different communities. People in Dadpath area of Chatroo blocked Kishtwar-Srinagar National Highway for more than two hours and later dispersed off peacefully after police and army rushed to the spot. Curfew is strictly clamped in all major populated areas of Kishtwar District. Police has also arrested key BJP and VHP leader's enroute to Kishtwar at Batote and Kud areas of Ramban and Udhampur Districts. As per reports, senior BJP leader Dr. Nirmal Singh, Dr. Jatinder Singh, Bali Baghat and Munish Sharma were arrested from Batote, while VHP leader Ramma Kant Dubey was arrested from Kud and placed under safe custody at Kud while BJP leaders were detained in police station Batote. As per the BJP sources, senior BJP leader and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha is schedule to fly to Kishtwar tomorrow. The reports from BJP camp added that Jaitley will visit the residence of deceased Arvind Kumar and will hold a meeting with party leaders, besides meeting deputation from traders of Kishtwar District who suffered massive loss in fire and arson. Meanwhile former Minister and MLA Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori demanded high level probe through CBI or NIA into Friday's communal clashes. Saroori said that people of Kishtwar District who have suffered due to communal clashes have no faith in any probe initiated by J & K government. He said that there is need to probe in detail as to why administration failed to impose curfew in Kishtwar even after 9 hours since the clashes broke out at Kuleed Chowk despite presence of MoS in the town.
Saroori also welcomed the transfer of DC Kishtwar and SP Kishtwar and said that both the officers failed to perform his duty and added that more change in police set up is required at highest level including at DIG level and ASP and Dy. SP's level. In the meantime as precautionary measures, the ongoing Machail yatra for Padder Tehsil of the District has been suspended till further order. All the yatra vehicles were stopped at Patnitop and all the vehicles have been sent back. Keeping in view of sensitivity, extra forces have been called in the District. |
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