Curfew in two Jammu towns, 50 hurt in violence

JAMMU: Fifty people were injured, including 13 in a grenade attack by militants on a rally in Bhaderwah, as Jammu saw stepped-up violence against the Amarnath land transfer revocation on Wednesday, forcing authorities to deploy the army in sensitive areas.
    
Curfew was clamped in Bhaderwah and Samba with the army staging flag marches in the two towns after 27 people were injured in communal clashes, the grenade attack and an incident of a mob torching five mud houses.
    
Over 70 people were arrested across the region and 50 people including 15 policemen and a CRPF constable were injured in the violence, officials said.
    
They said Jammu-Srinagar, Jammu-Poonch and Jammu- Pathankot highways were also clogged with Kashmiri migrants and activists of Hindu groups squatting at various points.
    
Demanding removal of Governor N N Vohra for revoking the order transferring forest land to Amarnath shrine board, BJP, VHP and Shiv Sena activists fought pitched battles with police at various places.
    
Police used batons and tear gas to push back the protesters and fired in the air at Muthi and Shastri Nagar in the city, the officials said.
    
Unidentified militants hurled a grenade on some 400 BJP activists and temple committee members returning to Laxmi Narain mandir in Bhaderwah after a rally, they said.
    
They said 13 people including a CRPF jawan were injured and four of the them stated to be critical condition were airlifted to Jammu Government Medical College.