BJP demands Kitchloo be sacked for Kishtwar clash

Protests disrupted ministerial meeting to discuss situation arising out of communal clash in Kishtwar of Jammu and Kashmir, as leaders of political parties demanded that Sajjad Kitchloo be sacked.

Jammu: Protests disrupted a ministerial meeting called on Friday night to discuss the situation arising out of the communal clash in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, as leaders of political parties demanded that Deputy Home Minister Sajjad Kitchloo be sacked. The state government had convened the meeting of prominent citizens, leaders of political parties, social, trade and religious organisations here to maintain communal harmony and peace in the backdrop of the clashes in Kishtwar.

However, as the meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand started, irate members and citizens blamed government and Kitchloo for the clash between two communities in which one person was killed. Kitchloo, who is the local MLA of Kishtwar, was camping in his home town for past few days. BJP state chief Jugal Kishore Sharma said, "Kitchloo is responsible for this incident...He is behind this incident... he should be sacked and arrested". However, NC leader Devender Rana defended Kitchloo saying he was there to celebrate Eid and had no role in the clash. Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu said he did not know how the clashes were triggered and how Arvind Kumar was killed, triggering protests from the participants of the meeting, who accused the officer of misleading them. Most of the participants boycotted the meeting demanding to sack the Deputy Home Minister. The protestors said government had failed to act resulting in loss of lives and burning down of shops and business establishments of a particular community. They blamed the government and the Deputy Home Minister for not allowing Army to take over such a sensitive situation when police had failed to deal with it. PTI