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| Jammu region in flames, crackdown fails to suppress rage | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | July 2
• Curfew extended to entire city, Samba; Army on standby
• Congress MLA Girdhari’s house attacked in Kathua
• Charak’s School comes under stone pelting in Shastri Nagar
• Vohra, Azad, Mufti smoked in hundreds of effigies
• Gujjars again under attack, hutments burnt, milk van set ablaze
In a deeply polarized situation entire Jammu region today burst into anger as protests and demonstrations further escalated making it tough for the authorities to contain the prevailing state of affairs.
After imposing prohibitory on Tuesday authorities had expected some semblance of order to return on Wednesday but the agitated protesters openly and vehemently defied the curfew restrictions with impunity and continued with violent protests and demonstrations. The curfew which was earlier imposed under the jurisdiction of six Police Stations in City and southern outskirts had to be extended to entire winter capital city.
Without caring for the curfew and chasing cops, the protesters trooped through roads and streets of the city smashing public property and attacking whatever came in their way. Dozens of agitators, senior activists of various parties and cops are reported to have been injured in different parts of city.
Similar reports of escalating tension have been received from different parts of region including Kathua, Hiranagar, Samba, RS Pura, Bishnah, Akhnoor, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah. In view of mounting tension and clashed with cops as well as members of minority community curfew was also clamped in Samba district headquarters.
Protestors at all places raised angry slogans against Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as also they burnt their effigies. They called for immediate restoration of the controversial forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and asked the government to keep away from yatra affairs.
Despite ban imposed by the district administration, the protesters openly carried naked swords, licensed weapons, trishuls and other weapons while demonstrating on the streets. Additional deployment of Police and CRPF had been in several areas but situation could not be brought under control.
In Shastri Nagar area of Jammu, the angry protestors pelted stones at the Dogra School which is owned by Congress leader and Higher Education Minister Gulchain Singh Charak. Window panes of the building were smashed while Police prevented their entry inside the building.
Security has been beefed up around the residences of the political leaders particularly those belonging to Peoples Democratic Party, Congress and National Conference. In addition to the existing security arrangement CRPF troopers were deployed at their residences but still the protesters were able to throw stones at a couple of places.
Reports pouring in from different places said that more than 100 people were injured at different places while 12 of them who sustained critical wounds were hospitalized.
In Kathua a violent mob, agitating for the third consecutive day, shouted anti-government slogans while marching towards the residence of MLA Girdhari Lal Chalotra and pelted stones. ''The angry protestors pelted stones and broken the window panes of the MLA’s house but no one inside the building got injured,'' a senior police official told EARLY TIMES.
Hundreds of protestors also took to the streets in different parts of the Kathua district including Barnoti, Palli and Channi. Meanwhile, the police resorted to lathicharge and fired teargas shells to disperse the agitators, police said adding that the protestors led by some political activists also blocked the Jammu-Kathua National Highway.
An irate mob set a Gujjar vehicle on fire at Talab Tilloo area of the city this morning, Sources said that protesters put a milk van on fire when a group of protesters stopped it asked the members of Gujjar community to go back.
Eyewitnesses said soon after the van was about to move back some youth reached the spot and put the van on fire. However the Gujjar members managed to escape from the spot, Police denied the report and said no such incident has taken place, but sources said the Milk Van vehicle belonging to Gujjars of Talab Tilloo Gajansoo Mud was completely burnt \by a group of protesters in from of police which remain silent.
Police vehicles fitted with loudspeakers announced the imposition of curfew and asked the people to go indoors as their presence on streets would be construed as violation of law. However, the announcement has not had any deterring effect on the protesters, who continued to fight pitched battles with the police in many parts of the city and its outskirts.
Police opened fire and burst teargas shells to quell workers of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena who demonstrated at various places across the state today.
In Nagrota dozens of vehicles were damaged and about ten people were injured in police public clashes. As the situation became worse, police fired more than 100 rounds in the air and opened teargas shells to disperse the mobs. |
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