Jammu bandh by SAYSS evokes little response

A bandh called by Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SAYSS), which spearheaded the land agitation in Jammu last year, to protest the alleged attempts to disrupt the Amarnath pilgrimage has evoked little response today.

Several market places remained open and traffic was seen plying in Jammu city. The old city area, however, remained closed in response to the bandh.

Demanding deployment of army in Kashmir to bring back normalcy, the SAYSS, supported by BJP, called for the bandh to protest against attacks on a temple in south Kashmir, demoralisation of security forces and attempts to scuttle Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir.

Security personnel has been deployed in large number in the city to maintain peace in view of the bandh, police said, adding there was no reports of untoward incident from anywhere.

SAYSS, a 34-organisation conglomerate, had spearheaded the agitation in Jammu during the nearly two-month long Amarnath land row in 2008.

The row was triggered after the state government had agreed to transfer 99 acres of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board to set up temporary shelters for pilgrims. The decision caused a controversy, with protests in the Kashmir Valley against it and demonstrations in Jammu region supporting it.