Amarnath Board Chairman blames PDP for violence

HOLY MESS: Sinha says PDP is fuelling the movement in the state to appease fundamentalists.

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Keywords: Jammu And Kashmir, Land Transfer

New Delhi: The former governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board, General S K Sinha - who had asked for the transfer of forestland to the Amarnath Shrine Board - defends himself and blames the PDP for fuelling fire iin the state.

"I didn't ask for a land tranfer. As the Chairman of the Shrine Board, I had asked for the land three years ago, and it was a diversion of land not transfer of ownership," says he.

He said that the PDP withdrawing support from the state government had nothing to do with the land transfer.

"The PDP has been fuelling the movement from outside," says he, adding that the party had done this to appease the fundamentalists.

He also said that the people of Kashmir have realised that the PDP was responsible for the unrest in the state.

60 Injured In Violence

In stepped-up violence, over 60 people, including 15 policemen, were injured and more than 110 activists of various groups arrested, as protesters defied curfew orders, clashed with police at many places and torched several vehicles in Jammu region over the Amarnath land revocation row.

Curfew was extended to Lakhanpur town on Thursday after protesters burnt an inter-state toll post there. Nearly 5,000 demonstrators barged into the toll post, clashed with police and CRPF personnel, who resorted to teargas shelling and baton charge, official sources were quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

They set afire the post and went berserk, damaging dozens of vehicles at Lakhanpur town of Kathua district. A police post was also set afire at Hatli in Kathua where over people, including 10 policemen, were injured in teargas shelling and stone pelting. Over 40 people were arrested.

In Jammu, defying curfew orders, over 6,000 people gathered at Bantalab and marched towards city. However, police fired teargas shells and baton charged to disperse them.

The All Party Migrant Coordination Committee - a conglomeration of 16 social, trade and political organisations of displaced Kashmiri Pandits - also led protests and fought pitched battles with police resulting in the injuring of 12 people, including three policemen.

Protesters also pelted stoned at the house of Congress minister Moula Ram and broke window panes. Over 17 people were injured and 48 arrested in Jammu district, police said.

Violence Spreads All Over India

A scattered strike turned violent in central India on Thursday, with two people killed and dozens injured in religious clashes. Strike supporters shut down transport and businesses, as protesters blocked roads, smashed vehicles and stopped trains.

On Thursday, authorities imposed curfew in Indore where two people were killed when Hindu groups clashed with Muslim residents, forcing police to open fire and lob dozens of tear gas shells.

A Muslim trader was seriously injured after he set himself on fire when a Hindu mob beat him up and ransacked his shop in Madhya Pradesh.

In Bihar, BJP supporters blocked trains and damaged vehicles in Patna. Carrying party flags and wearing saffron turbans, the protesters shouted Kashmir Hamara hai (Kashmir is ours) as they forced traders to close shops.

(With inputs from agencies)