Jammu: A senior police officer was among 40 people injured in clashes here Tuesday as violent protests continued for the second day against the government's decision to take over the management of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

The police allegedly opened fire and lobbed teargas shells at more than a dozen places in Jammu to disperse stone-pelting mobs.

Superintendent of police Sanjay Kotwal was among at least half a dozen policemen injured in stone-pelting in Amphalla area in the walled city of Jammu, while three cops were wounded in clashes at Domana-Muthi area.

The alleged police firing and baton charging have left at least 35 people wounded in the city. Two of the injured were reported critical in a hospital.

More police reinforcement has been deployed in the region to neutralise the situation, which is spiralling out of control as hundreds of people took to the streets to hold demonstrations.

Normal life remained paralysed in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir as the shutdown, called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other Hindu groups, entered the second day Tuesday.

All business establishments, educational institutions are closed in view of the volatile situation in the Jammu region. Public transport remained off the roads.

The Hindu groups, including the Shiv Sena, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, are protesting the government's decision to manage on its own the annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine in south Kashmir, which was hitherto being managed by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

They are also protesting the government's move to take back the controversial forest land from the SASB.

Jammu and Kashmir has been at the heart of a raging communal crisis triggered by the controversial order of the state government transferring 40 hectares of forest land to the SASB.

The Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley has witnessed violent protests against the order and five people were killed in alleged police firing during the past week. Kashmiris allege the shrine board would settle "outsiders" there and change the demography of the state.

Succumbing to the public pressure, Governor N.N. Vohra, who is also ex-officio chairman of the SASB, Sunday gave up the claim on the land and asked the state government to manage the annual Hindu pilgrimage.

The move has invited public irk in the Jammu region triggering violent demonstration since Monday.

Protests were also held at Udhampur, Ramban, Rajouri and Samba districts, where demonstrators burnt effigies of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Governor N.N. Vohra, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba.

Criticising the latest move, Rajesh Gupta, leader of the Shiv Sena, said: "The government is bowing before the anti-national elements."

He also criticised the governor for his role in "appeasing the Kashmiri Muslim fundamentalists" by offering to hand over the large swathe of forest land to the state government.

"Vohra and Azad have joined hands with all anti-national forces represented by the Hurriyat Conference, the PDP and the National Conference."

 

Source : IANS