Jammu, August 10 (Scoop News)-Complete Bandh was observed in Jammu city and adjoining districts of region today on the call given by different political and social organizations against the communal clashes in Kishtwar district that left two persons dead and over 20 people injured on Friday.
Bandh affected normal life in Jammu city as all the shops and business establishments remained closed and public transport was off the roads.
Police said that bandh remained overall peaceful,there was no report of any untoward incident in Jammu region.
Various organization including BJP,BJYM, Bar Association Jammu, VHP,Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena ,SRS, JKDF,Trade Association taken out anti-government rallies in Jammu.They demanded that Minister of State for Home, Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo be sacked. They raised anti-government and anti-Kitchloo slogans and burnt tyres on roads in various areas of Jammu city.
BJP state chief Jugal Kishore while addressing the Party activists alleged that JK MOS Sajad Ahmed Kitchloo is behind the incident. He should be sacked and arrested.
Meanwhile AJHLA the stakeholders in tourism and pilgrimage in Jammu have expressed serious concern over the communal flare-up in Kisthwar and disturbance in peace and normalcy, which has the potential to adversely affect tourism and pilgrimage in the region.
In a joint statement, issued here today, Inderjeet Khajuria president All Jammu Hotels & Lodges Association (AJHLA), Ravi Mahajan chairman Jammu Prayatan Vikas Mandal and Kuldeep Wahi president Jammu Hotels, Restaurants and Bars Association, have said that at a time when three pilgrimages as Baba Amarnath Yatra, Budha Amarnath Yatra in Poonch and Machail yatra in Kishtwar are going on and Kailash Kund Yatra Bhaderwah is to commence, disturbances and communal tension in Chenab Valley can vitiate the atmosphere which is detrimental to the pilgrimage and tourism in Jammu region.
Demanding an independent probe into the communal clashes in Kisthwar, in which two persons were killed, over 60 injured and many shops business establishment and vehicles subjected to arson and loot, they have blamed the district administration for their apathy in taking affective measures in advance to control the situation. There were indications and reports of communal tension building up in the area, but authorities took it lightly. Even after the clashes took place it took the administration eight hours to clamp curfew and call in the Army.
Further it is demanded that the role of MoS Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo who was present in the town at the time of incident, should also be probed by some independent agency. He was duty bound to take steps to control the situation and nip the bud in time and not let it spread.
It is also reported that the arms used by miscreants in killings, arson and loot were taken out from the armoury shop owned by a kin of the minister. This aspect also needs by probed.
The signatories to the statement have condoled the demise of two persons in the clashes and have demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each and government jobs for their kin. The injured too should be provided adequate relief and best of treatment at government cost.
While immediately relief be provided to those whose shops and business houses have been looted, assessment of losses should be made at the earliest and sufferers compensated accordingly.
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