Jammu bandh enters day four; some violence reported

Jammu, Aug 3

City witnessed clashes between police and protestors at several places in the city on the fourth day of a total shutdown on Monday, with police having to resort to cane charging protestors to stop them from pelting stones. Jammu has been witnessing total shutdown since Friday to demand an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the city.

"There were few incidents of stones being pelted at the police. We also had to use mild force to quell the protestors," a police officer said.

The AIIMS Coordination Committee, an amalgam of over 70 social, religious, political and business organisations, had extended the bandh — previously called from July 31 to August 2 — by three days on Sunday.

The ACC, which is spearheading the agitation, has accused the BJP-PDP coalition of shifting the AIIMS sanctioned for Jammu to Kashmir.

"Several of our activists including lawyers and transporters have been taken into custody by the police," Zorawar Singh, a spokesman of ACC said.

He also claimed that the police used force to quell what was a peaceful rally at several places.

"Our protest has so far been by and large peaceful, but we got reports that police used force on our protestors at several places," he said.

Meanwhile, business establishments, market places and shops remained closed and public transport remained off roads.

Protesters reportedly blocked the highway and various roads in the city by burning tyres, police said.

Protest rallies were held at several places across the city.

“There are reports that police resorted to mild cane charge near the Gujjar nagar area and the Nowabad police station on the ACC activists," a member of ACC said.

He accused the BJP of betraying the people of Jammu and going back on their poll promises.

"They (BJP) betrayed the people of Jammu much before the government was formed: they sold Jammu's pride when they were in the process of finalising an alliance with PDP," Singh said. — PTI