J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

1,000 pilgrims leave for holy cave

Jammu/Srinagar, June 10 Amarnath pilgrims cried lack of basic facilities at the starting point of the yatra here as the first batch of 1000 pilgrims was flagged off for the holy cave in south Kashmir from Maulana Azad Stadium early this morning. Potters carry a pilgrim on a palanquin to the holy cave on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Amin War
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Sainiks, Geelani supporters clash
Jammu, June 10
The police had a tough time in disengaging a group of activists of the Shiv Sena and supporters of the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who entered into a scuffle when the former disrupted a press conference which Mr Geelani was to address in a hotel here today.

Protesters attack security camp, 1 killed
Srinagar, June 10
At least one person was killed and 25 others, including 14 police and security personnel, injured when hundreds of demonstrators attacked a security force camp at Trehgam, about 100 km from here, this afternoon.

Katiar, Sahib Singh booked
Jammu, June 10
The police has registered an FIR against senior BJP leaders Vinay Katiar and Sahib Singh Verma for announcing a reward for those civilians who have killed terrorists.

1,000 pilgrims leave for holy cave
Tribune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, June 10
Amarnath pilgrims cried lack of basic facilities at the starting point of the yatra here as the first batch of 1000 pilgrims was flagged off for the holy cave in south Kashmir from Maulana Azad Stadium early this morning.

Thirty vehicles carrying the pilgrims were flagged off by Transport Minister Mangat Ram Sharma. This has marked the beginning of the two-month-long pilgrimage to the shrine.

The pilgrims will travel about 260 km in vehicles that were being escorted by the security forces to ward off any terrorism-related incident.

Some pilgrims complained that the authorities had not made any arrangement for their night halt on the stadium and they had to make their own arrangements in the private hotels in the area.

The security forces have been deployed on the entire Pathankot-Srinagar highway for the safety of the pilgrims. As many as 13 companies of the paramilitary forces have been deployed in Jammu and 60 companies in the valley for the security of the pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the first batch of 606 pilgrims arrived in the valley today for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir via the traditional Pahalgam and Baltal route. They included 328 males, 127 females and 24 children, in addition to 127 sadhus in 30 vehicles, an official spokesman said.

About 300 pilgrims arrived in Anantnag, 40 km short of the base camp of Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visited the holy cave this morning and interacted with the pilgrims who had already started pouring in at the cave ahead of the formal commencement of the annual yatra. The state government has fixed the fare from Nunwan to Chandanwari and Sonamarg to Baltal for the yatra.

As per a notification, the mini bus fare for a passenger for 18 km from Nunwan to Chandanwari will be Rs 59 while as for petrol taxies, it will be Rs 165 and for diesel vehicles, it will be Rs 73. Same rates have been fixed for 17 kms from Sonamarg to Baltal.

Sainiks, Geelani supporters clash
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 10
The police had a tough time in disengaging a group of activists of the Shiv Sena and supporters of the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who entered into a scuffle when the former disrupted a press conference which Mr Geelani was to address in a hotel here today.

The moment Mr Geelani entered into the conference room and seated himself in a chair to address mediapersons, activists of the Shiv Sena stormed into the hotel and dismantled the mike system. The supporters of Mr Geelani laid a cordon around him to prevent Shiv Sainiks from manhandling him. A senior Janata Party leader, Mr Somraj Dabgotra, was also present with Sena activists in shouting down Mr Geelani.

The Sena activists, who raised slogans, wanted Mr Geelani to chant “Bharat mata ki jai” and “Pakistan murdabad”. Mr Geelani refused to respond and remained determined in the chair.

The Sainiks accused hardline separatists of engineering killing of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir and later visiting Jammu for kicking up “communal disaffection”.

Mr Geelani, who was arrested in Poonch three days ago and sent to Jammu Central Jail, was released on bail by the District Sessions Judge this morning.

From the jail, Mr Geelani drove to the hotel where he had a plan to address a press conference.

While the two sides were engaged in an exchange of hot words, the police swung into action and escorted Mr Geelani to his room. It forcibly took the Shiv Sena activists out of the hotel premises. During this time, the Sainiks had a scuffle with the police.

Later, on a suggestion of the police, Mr Geelani deferred his press conference because the Sena activists had threatened to attack the hotel premises again if the Kashmiri separatist leader dared to talk to mediapersons.

The state president of the Shiv Sena, Mr Anand Sharma, told mediapersons that “we cannot take it lying down when separatists foment anti-India and pro-Pakistan sentiments in Kashmir among people and later tour Jammu for creating problems”.

He said: “What business do these separatists have in organising Press meets where they speak against the state’s accession and defend the ongoing militancy?”

Earlier, supporters of Mr Geelani had stated that the arrest of Mr Geelani in Poonch was “intriguing because he had been taken in custody in cases which had been filed in 2001”.

Protesters attack security camp, 1 killed

Srinagar, June 10
At least one person was killed and 25 others, including 14 police and security personnel, injured when hundreds of demonstrators attacked a security force camp at Trehgam, about 100 km from here, this afternoon.

Inspector-General of Police S.M. Sahai said a violent mob attacked a security force camp at Trehgam in the frontier district of Kupwara with stones and lathis.

He said the security forces opened fire to control the mob, heading to storm the camp.

Mr Sahai said one demonstrator was killed and seven others received minor injuries.

However, unconfirmed reports said 15 demonstrators were injured and the condition of three of them was stated to be critical.

A report from Baramula said students of Degree College, Kupwara, today took to the streets in protest against sacrilege of a mosque allegedly by the security forces.

The demonstrators, raising slogans against the security forces, alleged that a patrol party entered a mosque at Zirhama, about 10 km from Kupwara, without removing their shoes.

They further alleged that the security personnel beat up the priest and showed disrespect to holy books in the mosque. — UNI

Katiar, Sahib Singh booked
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 10
The police has registered an FIR against senior BJP leaders Vinay Katiar and Sahib Singh Verma for announcing a reward for those civilians who have killed terrorists.

The police said the case had been registered following the speech of the leaders in a rally in which they had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for any civilian who killed a terrorist and Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the civilian killed in an encounter with ultras.

A senior police officer said Katiar and Verma had been booked under Sections 123-A and 153-A of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) in a local police station. The two leaders had announced that the BJP would raise public funds for this purpose.

Their announcement has raised a controversy with the ruling Congress, PDP and other parties criticising the BJP for making the “provocative” speech.

Katiar has clarified that the BJP did not preach communal hatred. He had only asked village defence committee members to shoot terrorists in case they attack their hamlets and the police fails to reach there. The VDC members have been provided arms for this purpose by the government.