Kishtwar clashes: BJP calls for Jammu bandh

Jammu: BJP has called a bandh in Jammu on Saturday to protest against communal clashes and stone-pelting in which 14 persons were injured and a dozen shops were burnt in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We appeal for a Jammu bandh on Saturday against incidents of communal violence and the government`s failure in ensuring safety to minorities in Kishtwar," BJP state president Jugal Kishore Sharma told reporters here today. Once again the NC-Congress coalition has given a free hand to a section of people to harass, terrorise, kill and damage properties of minorities, he alleged. Sharma, along with Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Ashok Khajuria, party national executive member Nirmal Singh and others led a protest march and sat on dharna at Kachi Chawni Chowk to protest against growing incidents of communal violence in Kishtwar. The party has received support of Chamber of Commerce, Bar Association, local business community and social and religious organisations for Saturday`s Jammu bandh, Sharma claimed. Shiv Sena, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Dogra Front and JMM have also supported tomorrow`s bandh. Accusing the government of going lenient on troublemakers, Sharma said the state government didn`t take effective measures to identity and book culprits, leading to frequent clashes in erstwhile Doda district. In Samba, BJP activists sat on dharna on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway blocking traffic for four hours and demanded protection to minorities in Kishtwar district. Similar protests were held at Rajouri, where activists blocked the Jammu-Poonch National Highway for two hours and burnt the government`s effigy in RS Pura district. Protests were also reported from Hiranagar and Vijaypur as agitating BJP workers blocked the National Highway at Hatli Morh in Kathua. In Jammu, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Dogra Front took out protest rallies and forced shops to down shutters. PTI