Jammu, June 19
Carrying tridents and sticks in their hands, over 500 sadhus today held a protest and disrupted traffic for nearly two hours on the busy Canal Road, which leads to the Yatri Niwas base camp here.

Enraged sadhus, who had heated arguments and a scuffle with policemen, also targeted mediapersons, including photojournalists, covering the protest.

Trouble erupted around 3.30 pm today when the sadhus putting up in Government Girls Higher Secondary School on the Canal Road resented the delay in the resumption of the Amarnath yatra and poor facilities at the makeshift lodging centre.

They tried to march toward the Yatri Niwas base camp so as to leave for the cave shrine in the next batch tomorrow but were prevented by policemen.

A policeman outside the lodging centre allegedly manhandled a sadhu and within no time the situation took an ugly turn as over 500 sadhus staged a protest by blocking traffic.

Shouting slogans, “Jammu police hai hai” and “Omar Abdullah hai hai”, agitated sadhus also burnt tyres on the road.

However, the police refrained from using force against the protesters, some of whom even prevented the passersby from crossing the road.

“While the government is not sending us to the Amarnath shrine though the yatra started on June 15, poor facilities at the lodging centre, including unwholesome food, consternate us,” said an agitating Sadhus.

He alleged the government had deliberately turned a blind eye toward the sadhus, who had come for the pilgrimage.

The district administration had converted Government Girls Higher Secondary School into a lodging centre exclusively for the sadhus.

However, SP (City North) Randeep Kumar rushed to the spot

and pacified the agitating sadhus. He assured them that they would be allowed to leave for the cave shrine at the earliest, hopefully by tomorrow morning, depending upon improvement in the weather conditions at the Baltal base camp and its upper reaches.aSince the pilgrimage started on June 15, the authorities here have not allowed no group of sadhus to proceed to the Kashmir valley.

Srinagar, June 19
The state government foiled the separatists-sponsored Baramulla march today without much difficulty, even as around 20 persons were injured in clashes between police and CRPF personnel in the valley.

Heavy contingents of police and CRPF personnel were deployed on the roads leading to Baramulla while the north Kashmir district administration had invoked Section 144 of CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons. Groups of people from Pulwama and Shopian tried to drive toward Baramulla, but were stopped by the police. Several localities of Srinagar and some in Baramulla though witnessed violence and at least four journalists were injured when the police in Nowhatta fired teargas shells at them.

An injured journalist said the police fired at them as a stone-throwing mob grew only more violent seeing the media. Shafiq, a cameraman with the ANI, Faiyaz, a photographer working for the UNI, were among the injured. Shafiq has been admitted to hospital after being hit by a teargas shell in the face.

The day passed off more pleasantly than expected, as many shops in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk remained open and traffic plied on the road. Though there was no call for a strike, commercial establishments normally remain closed whenever the separatists announced any major protest. Attendance in offices was low, but life was not really disrupted the way one is used to see in the valley.

Sources said around 20 persons were injured today in clashes between police and CRPF personnel and protesters in downtown, Barzulla and Batmaloo in Srinagar and Baramulla. A complete shutdown, however, is expected tomorrow when Vice-President Hamid Ansari is expected to arrive for the convocation ceremony of Kashmir University.

Srinagar, June 19
Governor NN Vohra today visited the holy cave shrine of Amarnath and the Baltal base camp to take stock of the arrangements made for the yatris, an official spokesman here said.

The Governor performed pooja at the sanctum sanctorum and prayed for peace, harmony, brotherhood, progress and prosperity in the state.

According to a spokesman for the SASB, 4,958 pilgrims had darshan at the Amarnath shrine yesterday. He added that another batch of over 6,000 pilgrims had darshan today. He stated that a batch of 1,860 pilgrims left Jammu today for the Baltal Base Camp.

The Governor interacted with the pilgrims at the cave shrine and the Baltal base camp and enquired about the facilities being provided to them. The spokesman claimed the pilgrims appreciated the arrangements made by the board and the efforts of the government agencies, police and the security forces.

At Baltal, the Governor accompanied by his Principal Secretary and chief executive officer of the shrine board BB Vyas and other officials had a round of the base camp and reviewed extensively the arrangements for the yatris. He also took stock of the sanitation, drinking water and power supply.

The Governor stressed the need for the proper regulation of the entry of pilgrims into the camp and their onward movement to the holy cave. He ordered that rescue teams should be deployed en route various locations for ensuring complete safety and security of pilgrims, particularly in the context of adverse weather conditions.

At the Amarnath shrine also, the Governor reviewed the arrangements. On his return to Srinagar, Vohra landed at Panjtarni and took stock of the track clearance. He also undertook an aerial reconnaissance of the Amarnath-Chandanwari route, which is not yet through due to heavy snow accumulation at various places and the continuing inclement weather.

Jammu, June 19
After it remained suspended for three days, the Amarnath yatra, much to the relief of stranded pilgrims, resumed here  this morning.

Amid strict security arrangements, a batch of 1,860 pilgrims, including 617 women and 102 children, left the Yatri Niwas base camp around 5 am in a cavalcade of 39 buses and 15 LMVs.

SP, Benam Tosh, in charge of the security at the Yatri Niwas, told The Tribune that the convoy escorted by security personnel would stay at Manigam and Mir Bazaar tonight before being allowed to proceed toward the Baltal base camp to undertake the pilgrimage.

The pilgrims were informed that due to the suspension of the yatra for three consecutive days in view of incessant rain and slushy Baltal route they would have to stay in Manigam and Mir Bazaar in the Kashmir valley before resuming their journey via the Baltal route to the holy cave shrine, the SP said.

He added the pilgrims, who left the base camp here this morning, were informed that there was a heavy rush at the Baltal base camp and there was no accommodation available there.

After the first batch of 900 pilgrims was flagged off from here by Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora on June 15, the yatra remained suspended for the next three days because of the inclement weather in the upper reaches of south Kashmir and clogging of the Baltal base camp by unregistered pilgrims.

Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) would take a final decision on the traditional Pahalgam route on June 21.

Last year, over 450,000 pilgrims had visited the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. The two-month long pilgrimage would conclude on August 5.

Jammu, June 19
State BJP president Ashok Khajuria has demanded the arrest of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and her detention under the PSA. An FIR be also lodged against her for spreading communal hatred and hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community.

“Mehbooba Mufti after losing political power again wants to spoil the peaceful atmosphere of the state and widen the gap between two regions of the state. She was responsible for spreading hatred in Jammu and Kashmir regions last year also. Her irresponsible statements led to the Amarnath land agitation. This time again she is following the same game plan. Why the government should remain a silent spectator and allow her to spoil the peaceful atmosphere again?” asked Khajuria.

Referring to a letter she had written to Governor NN Vohra, he said Mehbooba asked the Amarnath yatra to be curtailed. She endorsed the stand of Hurriyat leader Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani. In the letter, she raised the plea that we must have a strategy for our environmental concerns. Most important element of that plan would be a strict regulation of the number of yatris and the yatra duration. 

Doda, June 19
Residents of Banihal town today protested against the ‘failure’ of the authorities to take action against a senior officer of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department, who had allegedly tried to kidnap a girl.

Though the police has registered a case against CDPO Haji Saleem Beig, who allegedly tried to kidnap a girl, the Banihal residents were annoyed over the department’s failure to take action against the officer. A strike was observed in the town and people held a demonstration demanding action against the accused.

According to the residents, Beig had tired to kidnap the girl in his vehicle. Some youths spotted him kidnapping the girl. His vehicle was intercepted near the Jawahar tunnel and the police rescued the girl. The accused managed to flee.

The Banihal police has registered a case, but the CAPD Department has not taken any action against the officer, who had clarified that the girl was going with him to Kashmir for some official work. He had refuted allegations saying the girl was going on her own with him.

Local leader Abdul Ahad Wani warned the authorities against making Banihal another Shopian. He regretted that the locals had been agitating for the past three days but the authorities were not taking any action against the culprit.

Jammu, June 19
BJP state president Ashok Khajuria, along with Lakhdata Bazaar Association president Vijay Saraf, today visited Lakhdata Bazaar and got started the upgrading work of main drain from Ghas Mandi Chowk to Peer Mitha in the presence of Urban Economic Engineering Department (UEED) officials and local residents.

An amount of Rs 8.12 lakh was sanctioned by the MLA from his constituency development fund and disbursed to the UEED for the purpose.

Khajuria said he had been receiving repeated complaints from the residents about choking and over flowing of the drains which pass through the area. They were demanding it’s upgrading as these were constructed many years ago and could not cater to the sewerage purposes, as the population grew manifold during the past few years.

Khajuria, while addressing the residents and the members of the bazaar association, assured his full and un-stinted cooperation and help in improving their amenities as he has been elected by their votes and is accountable to them for their services.

Srinagar, June 19
The 17th convocation of the university of Kashmir is all set to become a memorable event as Doordarshan is going to telecast live the same from the convocation complex.

Kashir channel of Doordarshan Kendra (DDK), Srinagar, has made arrangements for the live telecast. This is for the first time that an event like university convocation is being telecast by the DD. Live telecast of convocation being held after a gap of six years is likely to be viewed by thousands of viewers.

Giving a brief of arrangements made for the telecast, deputy director of the programmes, DDK Srinagar, Shabir Mujahid says, “Since it is for the first time that convocation is being held inside the university campus at convocation complex, it will be a memorable event. To make it unforgettable the event would be telecast live.”

Vice-President Dr Mohammad Hamid Ansari is expected to be chief guest at the convocation. Governor NN Vohra is expected to preside over the function while as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would be guest of honour.

Students, who have been declared qualified for the award of PhD, MPhil, MD and MS and diplomas in anaesthesia, ophthalmology and gynaecology since last convocation held on April 19, 2003, would be admitted to convocation for conferment of degrees.

Srinagar, June 19
A Pakistan-trained militant, who was working as a casual worker in Kashmir University, was killed and two others were injured when they were making an IED at Lal Bazaar in Srinagar last night. The otherwise routine crime in the context of Kashmir has assumed significance in the light of Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s visit to the varsity tomorrow.

The incident just two days before the Ansari’s visit and at a place very adjacent to the univesity’s premises has alarmed the authorities. “There are too many coincidences to be ignored. The evidence found so far definitely points to a serious conspiracy,” a top police official said. The police said it was investigating whether the militants were planning to target the Vice-Prisedent’s event.

Firdous Ahmad Dar, who hailed from Alsteng in Gnderbal and was working for Hizbul Mujahideen, had arrived at Riyaz Ahmed Bhat’s house in Lal Bazaar, which is near to the univesity’s premises, to prepare the explosives. The police hadalso seized an AK rifle, two hand grenades, a landmine and a bulletproof jacket from the house, sources said.

The sources said a Balero vehicle belonging to one of the accused, was also recovered by the police. Though police officials refused to confirm the development, sources said the university authorities had a fleet of Balero vehicles for their use and the recovery of a similar vehicle meant that the militants would have tried to bring that into the university to escape security check. The fact that Firdous worked in the university was an added advantage. Firdous, the police said, had served his term in the jail and was released. He was employed in the exchange of the university these days.