Jammu: Curfew on Saturday remained in force in violence-hit Kishtwar district even as protests against the communal clashes rocked Jammu and adjoining districts and normal life disrupted due to a bandh called in the region.
The Jammu and Kashmir Highway remained blocked at several places as protestors burnt tyres, sat on dharnas and put up barricades in Vijaypur in Samba, Rajpora in Kathua, Udhampur and Gangyal areas.
Normal life was hit in Jammu and adjoining districts of region due to a bandh called against the communal clashes in Kishtwar district that left two persons dead and over 20 people injured on Friday.
All the shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was totally off the roads in Jammu city on the call given by BJP and other organisation to protest against the incident.
The state government had already closed all educational institutes in Jammu in view of the bandh. Attendance was also thin in government departments due to the strike. "There was no report of any untoward incident in Jammu region and the bandh in most of the districts was peaceful", a police spokesman said.
Reports from Kathua, Samba, Reasi, Katra, Udhampur,Katra, Chenani, Poonch, Vijaypur, Akhnoor, Sunderbani, Kalakote, Noushera, R S Pura and Ramnagar areas said a near total bandh was observed, while a partial bandh was observed in Bhaderwah, Rajouri, Ramban and Doda areas as people belonging to one
community had closed their shops and business establishments.
In Jammu, there were protests in various areas and anti-government rallies taken out by BJP, Bar Association Jammu, VHP-Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and Trade Association to protest the incident and demand that Minister of State for Home, Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo be sacked.
Activists of BJP, BJYM, VHP, Bajrang Dal raised anti-government and anti-Kitchloo slogans and burnt tyres on roads in various areas of Jammu city. "Kitchloo is behind the incident. He should be sacked and arrested", BJP state chief Jugal Kishore alleged.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Region, Shantmanu told PTI that "Curfew is on for second day in Kishtwar. After deployment of Army, the situation has normalised but tension is still there". The trouble in this district, 226 kms from here, had erupted after a group of people raised anti-national slogans after Eid prayers.
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