Admn to review situation today evening
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 9: Curfew was clamped in Kishtwar town and adjoining areas this morning while prohibitory orders were imposed in nine other districts of Jammu region early this morning to maintain law and order in sensitive areas in the wake of verdict on Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute at Ayodhya by the Supreme Court.
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Situation, however, remained peaceful in the entire region with no untoward incident reported from anywhere as all educational institutions were closed and commercial traffic stayed off the National Highways and major roads during the day.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma told the Excelsior that prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 in entire Jammu region from midnight last night will continue tomorrow as precautionary measure though situation in all 10 districts of the province remained completely peaceful.
“No untoward incident has been reported from any part of the region,” Verma said, adding the restrictions will continue tomorrow. A fresh review of the situation will be held by civil and police administration tomorrow evening before taking a call on opening of educational institutions on Monday, he said.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana told the Excelsior that curfew was imposed in Kishtwar town and surroundings this morning in the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya but the situation in entire sensitive district remained peaceful.
Additional para-military forces and Rapid Action Force have been deployed in the district. Curfew was relaxed for some time in the evening but it will continue, Rana said, adding a decision on relaxation in curfew will be taken tomorrow morning.
However, markets in Doda and Bhaderwah towns remained open even though restrictions under Section 144 had been imposed in Doda district, SSP Doda Mumtaz Ahmad said, adding that situation across the district was completely peaceful.
In Jammu City, all shops and business establishments remained closed and commercial traffic was off the roads. Even private vehicles were also stopped by the police at many places even though only Section 144 had been imposed in the district and there was no curfew.
People at many places complained that they were not allowed to travel even in their personal private vehicles by the police personnel at some of the places.
Though authorities had imposed Section 144 only, which bars assembly of five or more persons, police had fenced some of the roads with concertina wires and didn’t allow even two-wheelers to move.
Situation in the sensitive border districts of Poonch and Rajouri also remained peaceful with RAF and para-military personnel patrolling the sensitive areas to maintain peace and ensure that law and order isn’t disturbed.
Traffic on Jammu-Pathankot and Jammu-Kishtwar National Highways and other major roads including Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch were open for private traffic. However, commercial transport was off the roads. Very few private vehicles were seen moving on the Highways and major roads as the people preferred to stay in their houses.
Majority of Government offices too remained closed. Some of the offices which were open had very thin attendance as the employees couldn’t make it to their offices in the absence of transport.
Authorities had last night ordered imposition of prohibitory orders in entire Jammu province tomorrow, closure of educational institutions (both schools and colleges) and postponement of examinations as the news came that the Supreme Court will deliver verdict this morning on Ram Janamabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute at Ayodhya.
According to sources, addition enforcement of para-military forces and the Rapid Action Force will remain deployed in the entire province for more time. Additional forces were camping in the region since August 5 when the Central Government had scrapped special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
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