JAMMU: Curfew was on Sunday clamped in three more districts in the tense Jammu region and Army staged flag marches as J-K government made violence-hit Kishtwar out of bounds for politicians, detaining BJP leader Arun Jaitley at airport here and turning him back.
One more body was found in Kishtwar, 226 kms from here, which remained curfew bound for the third consecutive day on Sunday following communal clashes on Friday that left two persons dead and scores of others injured, but authorities were yet to ascertain if he was a victim of violence.
Curfew was imposed in Jammu and Rajouri districts and Army called out after some incidents of arson and violence on Saturday night. It was on Sunday extended to Udhampur, Samba and Kathua along with Bhaderwah town in Doda, thus affecting seven out of 10 districts of Jammu region.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley was detained as he arrived at the airport here on his way to Kishtwar, drawing sharp reaction from BJP which termed it as “undemocratic”.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Avinash Rai Khanna, who was to accompany Jaitley to Kishtwar along with state BJP President Jugal Kishore, was also detained by police while he was trying to enter Kathua on Sunday morning while PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti claimed she was prevented from leaving her house in Srinagar for a visit to the violence affected district in Jammu region.
But Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit back at BJP alleging that politicians were trying to flare up the situation in Kishtwar to polarise the population with an eye on next year’s elections to parliament and the assembly.
Without naming any political party, the Chief Minister said, “their entire aim seems to be to recreate the conditions of 2008 (Amarnath land row agitation) so that they can exploit it in the subsequent parliament (polls) and then the assembly election.”
He said that he has spoken to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. “In a telephonic conversation with the leader of opposition, I asked her to tell their people in the region to maintain calm and not to flare up the issue,” Omar said.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu told PTI that curfew has been imposed in Udhampur, Kathua and Samba districts “as a precautionary measure and Army has also been deployed in the areas to assist local administration.”
“The situation is tense but under control. There are no reports of any untoward incident on Sunday. Army has staged flag marches in several areas,” the official said.
He said, “Jaitley has been detained at Jammu airport soon after his arrival from New Delhi” and he will return to Delhi.
The Chief Minister has rushed to Jammu with senior cabinet colleagues and will hold a meeting of eminent citizens to discuss efforts to restore peace.
Omar dismissed suggestions that the administration was lax in responding to the clashes saying the procedures laid down had to be followed. “The fact that we were able to restore calm within hours, before fall of the night, is indicative of the swiftness of the action,” he said.
He alleged that political parties were trying “to exploit the sentiment that has risen as a result of Kishtwar (incident), to try and polarise the people.”
He said that so far they have not succeeded beyond a handful of incidents. “But that has not stopped them from trying. Otherwise, what would be the justification for these people to rush to Jammu? Do they rush to any other place? “I can name you incidents of communal riots in other states in this year itself. Have they been to those areas? Have they appealed to people? Why is that they single out Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Jammu region, for their special attention. Did I not have Shia-Sunni clashes in the Valley not so long ago? Where were they then?” he asked. The Chief Minister urged people to ignore rumours about the situation in Kishtwar and other affected areas. “There are reports that a third body has been found in Kishtwar. We are trying to ascertain whether the death took place in the clashes or otherwise,” he said.
Vowing to ensure swift action against those involved in violence that erupted on Friday, he said the government has taken a decision not to allow any political party or leaders – be it from mainstream or separatists — to visit the violence hit areas as it had the potential of deteriorating the situation. “And that includes Arun Jaitley too,” Omar said soon after the BJP leader was detained at Jammu airport.
The chief minister said he would be very open to the participation of the politicians if they had come with the intention of helping to improve the situation.
“The truth is that they are not. I have seen these people and their role in 2008 and 2010. Their only aim is to try and exploit this for their own political purposes. They have absolutely no human interest at heart,” he said.
Led by J-K BJP president Jugal Kishore, party workers, who had come to receive Jaitley at the Jammu airport, held a protest against Jaitley’s detention. Khanna, who is party incharge of J-K, said he was detained at the Lakhanpur border by the J&K police Sunday morning for defying prohibitory orders and subsequently released at Madhopur in Punjab.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said, “a police team has been deployed outside the main gate of my residence and we are not being allowed to leave the premises.” Pathankote-Jammu-Srinagar highway, which is the only surface link between Kashmir and rest of the country is being kept open by the authorities amid deployment of additional forces. Restrictions have been imposed on assembly of people in areas other than under curfew, police said.
Mobile Internet services were on Sunday suspended in the state following tension in Jammu region. In the Kashmir Valley, normal life remained affected for the second consecutive day due to a strike called by hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the wake of communal clashes in Kishtwar. (PTI)