Anger spilled onto roads as Jammu observed spontaneous shutdown against the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims with protesters blocking highways at different places from Lakhanpur to Udhampur.
The city observed a complete bandh on the call by the Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), Congress, Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCI), Jammu chapter, and transporters, which was supported by the Bar Association, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Team Jammu, All J&K Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), Bajrang Dal and other social and political organisations.
Representatives of different organisations took out rallies in the city.
All the shops, public transport, schools, colleges, private offices and business houses remained closed to protest the attack. The Bar Association also suspended the work at the Jammu High Court.
Speaking on the occasion, Zorawar Singh Jamwal, chairman, Team Jammu, said the attack had exposed the so-called security arrangements made by the Centre as well as the state government for this year’s yatra.
He added that the biggest terror attack on the yatra was executed by militants in 2000. “For the last 17 years, no such incident has taken place. This year, militants managed to target the yatra due to pro-militant policies being adopted by the PDP-BJP government in the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anil Sharma, AJKPC president, said it was high time for the Centre to take some harsh measures to deal with the perpetrators of terrorism and their sympathisers in the Kashmir valley.
“The first and foremost step is to withdraw the security cover provided to Hurriyat leaders in the Kashmir valley. They have waged a war against the nation but they are enjoying the security cover on tax payers’ money. All the facilities extended to them need to be withdrawn to control their anti-national activities,” Sharma said.
Moreover, most of the districts were partially closed. However, Ramban, Batote and Banihal observed complete bandh.
Mobile net snapped
Feeling the heat of anger among the people on social media, the state administration on Monday night ordered all mobile network providers to snap down the Internet services in Jammu province.
No shutdown in Katra
Katra and Reasi remained unaffected by the bandh call, as 33,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on Tuesday. However, the Congress held a protest at Katra and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, too, protested at Reasi.
