Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 30: Kalakote town of sensitive border district of Rajouri today held strong protest and observed bandh in protest against the sacrilegious act.
The people from the minority community expressed strong resentment and held massive protest demonstration at Kalakote town, Tayrath and Balli villages and also blocked road for more than five hours. They were holding protest against police authorities and their failure to nab the accused allegedly involved in the alleged killing of a minor bovine animal.
The trouble started at around 8.15 am today when some villagers noticed a calf lying dead near the houses of some minority community people at village Khadarian, falling under Kalakote. The people gathered there after coming to know about the matter. They found that some parts of the animal were missing as it appeared to be stabbed.
Within short time a large number of people gathered there and blocked Kalakote Rajouri road by raising logs of wood and big stones. They sat on dharna and started protest demonstration. They shouted slogans against Police and district administration demanding immediate arrest of the accused involved in this criminal act.
SHO Kalakote and SDPO Nowshera reached the spot and tried to dispose off the dead body of the animal but hundreds of people who had gathered there did not allow. Later, some people from Kalakote town associated with RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and SD Sabha also arrived there. They removed the dead body to the Kalakote town and kept at the main chowk and started protest. They covered animal’s body with a cloth and started protest.
Entire market was closed down as angry mob of the youth came out on the road and forced closure of the market. The market in Taryath town was also closed after the news of sacrilegious act reached there. The people also started protest there.
Later, DC Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Bhat, SSP Rajeshwar Singh Jamwal, Additional DC and ASP Nowshera sensing possible communal clash, rushed to Kalakote town. They talked to the angry protesters and assured that accused involved in the criminal act would be arrested shortly. On their assurance, the people lifted dharna at around 3 pm. The market was also re-opened there after. The dead body of the animal was then buried at some identified place near the nallah by the protesters. The tension was then defused.
Meanwhile, Minister for Sheep and Animal Husbandry Abdul Gani Kohli, who represents Kalakote constituency condemned this sacrilegious act and demanded that stern action under the law should be taken against the accused. He alleged that some miscreants have tried to flare up communal tension and damage the age old communal harmony in the area. He said the police should arrest the real culprits without any delay.
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