Rajouri, August 8
The district administration in Poonch imposed an indefinite curfew after
incidents of communal violence were reported in the town yesterday.
Reports said clashes broke out between two particular communities
after activists of the Bajrang Dal and the BJP, while protesting in
support of the Amarnath land row, pelted stones on the police, which
reportedly injured a woman and a child of the majority community.
Eyewitness told The Tribune that activists of the Bajrang Dal and the
BJP, forced the closure of schools, college and government offices in
the morning. At about 12.30 pm, the activists reached the Parade Ground
area and pelted stones on the police after they were stopped from
vandalising the government property. Some of these stones landed in the
houses of the majority community, injuring a woman and a child, they
added.
The eyewitness further said, following injuries to the woman and the
child, members of a particular community took out a protest
demonstration yesterday, decrying activists of the BJP and the Bajrang
Dal for attacking their community members and raising provocative
slogans.
Following intervention by elderly members of the majority community,
the protestors dispersed peacefully from near the Zanana Park.
Meanwhile, activists of the Bajrang Dal and the BJP again took out a
protest demonstration and forced closure of schools, educational
institutions and government offices today. After the police stopped
them, the activists pelted stones on the police. The police used mild
cane-charge to disperse the crowd.
“The activists later assembled at the Geeta Bhawan and tried to
march to Qilla Bazar, but were stopped by the police at City Chowk”,
sources said.
The activists, however, resorted to stone-pelting and even tried to
attack the houses of the majority community. The police used cane-charge
and even fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob, sources added.
Meanwhile, sources in the district administration claimed that after
the situation got out of control, the administration fearing communal
clashes, imposed a curfew in the town. At around 8 am, the Army was
called in to enforce the curfew “strictly”. The Army also staged a
flag march to bring the situation under control, they added.
However, sources averred that the district administration had relaxed
the curfew during Friday prayers to allow the majority community to
offer prayers. “The district administration was planning to relax the
curfew from 7 pm to 8 pm even as clashes between the police and
activists of the BJP and the Bajrang Dal broke out”, sources added.
Two policemen and CRPF personal, besides a local journalist, a woman
and a child of the majority community were reportedly injured in the
clashes.
Meanwhile, the district authorities relaxed the curfew for an hour on
a rotation basis in Jawahar Nagar, Civil Line area and old town areas.
