After the Friday prayers, members of the majority community in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district held a massive protest against a sacrilegious act.
Tension gripped Bhaderwah town on Thursday evening after some people noticed burnt firecrackers bearing Arabic script.
Protesters alleged that the Arabic script on the burnt crackers were verses of a holy book.
Reports said the majority community closed its business establishments on the call of the Anjuman Islamia Bhaderwah as a mark of protest and did not allow traffic on the Bhaderwah-Doda highway. They demanded action against the cracker manufacturing company.
“A peaceful protest was held in the town after the Friday prayers. There is no need to worry as the situation is completely normal. My officers are on the ground and I am personally monitoring the situation,” said Deputy Commissioner (DC), Doda, Bhupinder Kumar.
“The police have filed a case in this regard and the investigation is on. Whosoever is found guilty will not be spared,” said the Doda DC.
Meanwhile, extra police and CRPF personnel were deployed in the town and barbed wires were put at some places to meet any eventuality.
Deputy Inspector General, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range, Nissar Ahmed said: “The Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, and the Additional Superintendent of Police are on the spot and they are talking to protesters. The situation is normal.”
Meanwhile, to defuse the situation, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Doda, Zahid Manhas held a meeting with members of the Anjuman Islamia Bhaderwah at the office of the Sub-District Magistrate in Bhaderwah and promised to take action.
“We were called by the SSP, Doda, for a meeting at the SDM office, where he assured us action against the culprits. We demanded an investigation to know who bought the crackers and from where so that action can be taken against the factory owner and those who have sold the pages of the holy book,” said Khairat Farash, president of the Anjuman Islamia.
