JAMMU ROCKED BY PROTESTS AGAINST TERROR ATTACK ON YATRIS

JAMMU: Public anger over the killing of seven Amarnath pilgrims in Anantnag spilled onto the streets of Jammu on Tuesday, with nine districts in the region – barring Kathua – witnessing partial bandhs.

The Bar Association and Youth Congress have called for a bandh in Kathua district on Wednesday. Angry protesters set tyres on fire and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway at Kathua and Samba, besides other roads in Doda. Agitations were also witnessed in other districts.

In Jammu, protesters burnt tyres and shouted slogans against the BJP-PDP government. Protests were held by various organisations, including the Congress, Panthers Party, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jammu chamber of commerce and industry and the J&K high court bar association.

Panthers Party chairman Harsh Dev Singh led over 200 activists in demonstrations. “This is the biggest failure of the BJP-PDP government in J&K and the BJP government at the Centre... They should take responsibility not only for the terror attack but also for pushing Kashmir into the worst state of terror...” Singh said.

Over 500 Congress workers also took out a rally under the leadership of former minister Sham Lal Sharma. “Now the state government is trying to dodge the blame by claiming that the bus wasn’t part of the Yatra caravan.

The government should step down immediately to bring the situation under control...” said Sharma. The administration has ordered educational institutions to remain shut for the next two days, and suspended mobile Internet services in the region. Paramilitary and police forces have been deployed.