Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 12: A day after this Winter Capital and other towns observed a complete peaceful bandh, yesterday the normal life in Kathua district, R S Pura tehsil of Jammu district and Bari Brahmana tehsil of Samba district remained paralysed due to total shutdown today, in protest against the attack on Amarnath yatris in Anantnag district of South Kashmir on July 10, in which seven pilgrims were killed and 21, including three cops, got injured.
Kathua town witnessed a total shutdown to lodge protest against the terrorist attack on Amarnath pilgrims. Shouting anti-government slogans, activists of various political parties took out rallies and also shouted slogans against the terrorists, Pakistan as well as the coalition Government.
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Amid slogans of ‘BJP hai-hai,’ the agitators alleged that due to security lapse, an attack took place and the matter needed to be probed.
In Kathua town the activists of various political parties including Congress, National Panthers Party (NPP), Shiv Sena, VHP and Bajrang Dal held protest demonstrations in various localities of the town. The bandh was also observed in Hiranagar tehsil, Chadwal, Dayalachak, Ghagwal Bani, Billawar and Basholi towns of Kathua district and Bari Brahmana town of Samba district and Ghagwal township of Kathua district to show solidarity with the bereaved families of pilgrims.
All the business establishments in these towns remained closed for the day while traffic was also off the roads. However in Bari Brahmana the business establishments remained closed while the traffic plied normally. The people also took out a candle light procession in the evening in protest against the attack on yatris.
The NPP which held a protest demonstration in Kathua township also torched the effigy of the State Gove-rnment at Shaheedi Chowk. They raised slogans against the Union Government and blamed it for its total failure in containing terrorism in Kashmir.
Addressing the protesters the NPP leader Robin Sharma said that Government has given a free hand to Hurriyat and it is spending crores of rupees on their security which is the hard earned money of Indian tax payer.
He demanded that Hurriyat leaders be put behind the bars and criminal cases be initiated against them as they are brain behind the terrorist activities in Kashmir.
Condemning the attack and killing of seven Amarnath pilgrims the Party also demanded imposition of Governor’s rule in the State for peaceful and smooth conduct of ongoing pilgrimage as the PDP-BJP Government has failed to secure the pilgrims visiting the cave shrine.
In Samba town shopkeepers downed the shutters of their business establishments in the morning for some time but later opened. However the irate people protesting against the attack on Amarnath yatris blocked the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for one hour.
Meanwhile, R S Pura tehsil of Jammu also observed a shutdown.
Government offices witnessed thin attendance, while no commercial vehicle plied on the road.
The Jammu District administration ordered closure of all Government and private schools today, in view of the prevailing situation.
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