Shutdown favouring beef ban affects life in Jammu

Jammu: Life in Jammu was affected on Saturday by a protest shutdown called against cow slaughter and a beef party held by a state lawmaker.

Shops, educational institutions, public transport and other businesses remained closed in Jammu city on Saturday because of a protest shutdown called by the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP).

The shutdown has been called against cow slaughter and holding of a beef party by independent legislator Engineer Rashid earlier this week in Srinagar.

Attendance in banks, post offices and government offices was thin because of non-availability of public transport in the city.

A few three-wheelers, however, plied on city roads, but as the day progressed, these too started thinning out.

JKNPP activists gathered at the Residency Road in the city and tried to carry out a protest march. It was intercepted by the police after which the protesters dispersed.

A senior police officer said sufficient deployment of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been made in sensitive areas of the city and no untoward incident had taken place anywhere so far.

Engineer Rashid, an independent legislator from north Kashmir's Langate constituency, had hosted a beef party at the legislators' hostel in Srinagar on Wednesday.

Ugly scenes were witnessed in the state assembly on Thursday when ruling BJP lawmakers thrashed Rashid in the house, forcing the government to condemn and apologise.

Tension had gripped the Jammu region on Thursday when three animal carcasses were found in Chenani area of Udhampur district.

Local Hindus alleged the animals had been slaughtered, but district authorities confirmed the animals had died of poisoning.

For the last three days, there has been a protest shutdown in Chenani, Udhampur and Reasi towns of Jammu region.

In order to prevent spread of wild rumours, authorities had also suspended mobile Internet services in Jammu city for sometime on Thursday.