Violence in the Jammu region over the Amarnath transfer row escalated on Wednesday with protestors targeting an Army convoy
JAMMU: Violence in the Jammu region over the Amarnath transfer row escalated on Wednesday with protestors targeting an Army convoy prompting the security forces to open fire in which one person was killed while the office of a Tehsildar was also set ablaze.
With Jammu on the edge, eight members of the Amarnath shrine board resigned to help reconstitution of the board as a possible way out to resolve the impasse over the land transfer issue.
Curfew was violated by protestors in several places in the Jammu region while several agitationists waded through the Tawi river to enter Jammu town where Army was deployed in sensitive places. Eighteen people were injured in fresh incidents of violence in Jammu and Kathua districts.
The Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS), which is spearheading the ongoing agitation,refused to budge from its position and said it will settle for nothing less than revocation of the government's order cancelling transfer of nearly 100 acres of land to the Shrine board.
An official spokesman said protestors stopped an army convoy escorting supplies to the valley at Palli mode, 10 kms from Kathua town on the Jammu-Pathankot highway. They indulged in stone throwing on the vehicles, he said, adding the army opened fire in which one person was killed and another injured.
A Defence spokesman Lt Col S D Goswami said the army acted to maintain law and order on magisterial orders.
Angry protestors also attempted to attack the residence of former minister and PDP leader Manjit Singh in Jammu town but were dispersed after police swung into action.
In another incident in Jammu, protestors entered the office of a Tehsildar at Nagrota ,about 12 kms from here, and set it ablaze in which one policeman was injured, the spokesman said.
In the Kashmir valley, life remained paralysed for the third consecutive day following a strike call given by the Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference.
Geelani gave the call in a bid to pressure the Centre from carrying out any possible amendment of the order which cancelled transfer of nearly 40 hectares of forest land to the Amarnath shrine board.
Shops, business establishments, schools, government and private offices remained closed across the valley, official sources said in Srinagar. Vehicles also remained off the roads.
In the Jammu region, four civilians were injured when protestors pelted stones on a truck carrying empty boxes on highway near Samba last night,official sources said, adding the driver of the truck managed to bring the vehicle to Gangyal police station.
All the four persons were rushed to government medical college hospital here, they said.
Twelve people were also injured in pitched battles between police and protestors in Kathua town overnight ,sources said, adding seven persons were also taken into custody in the town.
Protesters defied curfew in Khour,Bishnah, Gangyal, Muthi and Udhampur in Jammu region and demanded immediate restoration of land to the Amarnath shrine board
In Udhampur town, over 400 agitators staged a rally during a three-hour curfew relaxation.The protesters had staged torchlight processions in the town last night.
Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Kathua overnight leaving 12 injured, the official sources in Jammu said, adding heavy stone-pelting was also reported from thetown.
Curfew was also relaxed for varying periods in Jammu and Baderwah districts while it remained strictly in force in the rest of the Jammu region which has seen violence since June-end over the land controversy.
Meanwhile, rail traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot section, which was affected on Tuesday after agitators uprooted a portion of the track, was restored this morning.
Most trains left for their destinations after several hours of delay as para-military forces kept a strict vigil along the track.
Officials in Srinagar said through no major incident was reported during Wednesday's strike, small groups of youths pelted stones at police in Maisuma and burnt tyres in Maharaja Bazaar.
Additional police and paramilitary contingents have been deployed across the state to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, all government and private educational institutions upto 10+2 level in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur and Rajouri in the province will reopen on August 11, 2008 after summer vacations, according to the Director School Education.
The Government has also ordered that all colleges located in the summer zone of Jammu division shall remain closed upto August 10, 2008.
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