Shutdown in Bhadarwah, Kishtwar over Srinagar poll violence

Bhadarwah: Normal life was affected in Bhadarwah and Kishtwar towns of Jammu region on Tuesday due to a shutdown called by a religious organisation to protest the killing of eight people in election-day violence in Srinagar.

Shops, other business establishments and some private schools of a particular community remained closed. However, government schools, offices and banks are functioning normally and traffic was plying on the roads as usual.

"We have given a call for a peaceful bandh to lodge our protest against the killing of innocent civilians in Kashmir," said President, Anjuman-e-Islamia Bhadarwah, Pervaiz Ahmed Sheikh.

"For how long can we keep our emotions, especially those of the youth, in control... We are being pushed to the wall. The retaliation is bound to happen," he said.

Pervaiz said the government was testing their patience and it will be responsible if any untoward thing happened.

Elaborate security arrangements were made in all major towns of the district including Doda, Thathri, Gandoh, Kahara and Bhadarwah.

"The jawans and officers have been advised to practice maximum restraint, but to deal with any untoward situation, we have deployed columns of police, JKAP and CRPF at all sensitive places and outside the mosques," said SDPO Bhadarwah Brijesh Sharma.