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DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2014 (PAGE 11) From page 1 Another sacrilegious act, people protest; block NH Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated; 20 injured in clashes Yatra crosses last year mark persed but warned to take to Total bandh was also observed that situation is under control and traffic plied normally on Jammu- ended last evening with the old city. Scores of vehicle of the as members of other business Executive Officer of the Board streets after two days in case in other towns of Kathua dis- no untoward incident was report- Pathankote National Highway sighting of the Islamic month people who offered prayers at communities accusing the said that last year the yatra com- the culprits were not arrested trict as a mark of protest ed from any where today. He said later in the day which was closed of Shawwal moon. Eidgah were damaged in the Amarnath Shrine Board and menced from both Baltal and by then. against yesterday's sacrilegious no arrest has been made as yet as for some time by protestors in the However, violent protests clashes. State administration for the Chandaanwari tracks on June 28 SSP, Ramban Javed Matoo act at Jannu. the culprits have managed to morning. were reported in parts of the A group of protesters also same. while this year the yatra com- later told Excelsior that a sacrile- Meanwhile, Basohli police escape. The Police has launched a A protest demonstration was Valley soon after Eid prayers in reached Civil lines area includ- Some organizations includ- menced on June 28 only from gious act has taken place late last has arrested two persons for man hunt and they will be nabbed also held by the irate youth in which at least 20 people includ- ing Maisuma but police chased ing VHP and Bajrang Dal have Baltal track and from night in the jungles of Shivgadi in questioning and creating dis- soon. Kathua town against the yester- ing police men were injured. them away. openly accused the Board of its Chandanwari route it was start- Chakwa Panchayat in Batote turbances in Bhoondh area. He said total bandh was day's sacrilegious act. The The protests were held in soli- Two persons including a failure in taking pre-emptive ed on July 2. which sparked protests. He said They were identified as observed and protestors also protestors shouting slogans darity with the people of Gaza Policeman were injured in stone steps in averting the July 18 He said despite the yatra the situation is under control and Shamas-ud-Din and Qamar- blocked National Highway. He against the Government held where hundreds of persons have pelting at Janglat Mandi in episode at Baltal which was fol- starting late this year from the administration is monitoring police responsible for such acts. died in Israeli airstrikes and Anantnag town this morning. lowed by cylinder blast near the Chandanwari track 3,46,752 the situation. He said no arrest They demanded stern action ground offensive over the past The injured are identified as base camp of Baltal few days yatris had paid obeisance at holy has been made so far but the under law against culprits trying month. Constable Adil Ahmad Mir ( later of the Baltal violence. cave till July 28 while till the Police has registered a case and to disturb peace. They said earlier The protesters started from Belt No- 384A) son of Gulam They said such incidents cre- corresponding day last year soon the culprits will be arrested. such acts also took place in the Eidgah in old city area of Hasan Mir resident of Shangus ated panic among the people, 3,27,507 pilgrims had per- He as well as DC Ramban have hilly belt of Kathua district but no Srinagar soon after the prayers. and a civilian Aabid Ahmad resulted in decline of the annual formed darshan. appealed to the people to main- one was prosecuted and punished The protesters pelted stones on Thoker son of Abdul Rashid res- yatra. The BD leader Rakesh Mr Gupta said the data per- tain calm. so far with the result people police and para-military CRPF ident of Waghama, Bijbehara. Sharma said SASB was never taining to preceding yatras indi- DC Ramban, R A Inqalabi involved in such acts get encour- and police fired dozens of tear Aabid has been shifted to interested from the beginning to cates that every year the yatra while appealing the people to aged. smoke shells to disperse them. SKIMS, Srinagar in a critical increase the number of pilgrims declined after July 15. Despite maintain calm said the police has A peaceful procession was At least 17 people including condition while the injured visiting the holy cave every this declining trend, over one identified the culprits responsible also taken in the town from some cops were injured in the policeman is being treated at year. lakh yatris had visited the holy for sacrilegious act and disturb- Kalibari which after passing via clashes at several places in the district hospital Anantnag. Accusing the Board of cave from July 15 to July 25 this ing peaceful atmosphere in the Main Chowk Kathua culminated decreasing the duration of Yatra year, he added. area. They will be arrested soon at Parliward. 3 ultras arrested from Ganderbal, Mendhar from two months to 44 days, It may be recalled that the and dealt seriously under law. Reports said total bandh was Rs 1.5 lakh with some unidenti- Police said the unidentified VHP patron Dr Rama Kant highest number of 6.34 lakh pil- He said it is unfortunate that observed in Basohli township fied businessmen/politicians of influential persons had struck a Dubey said that this was done to grims performed darshan at holy some anti social elements tried to with business establishments Bhatta Dhurian to trigger blast deal of Rs 1.5 lakh with Irfan, please a particular section in cave in 2011 while 6.22 pil- Kathua market wearing a deserted look as township observed in the office of Naib Tehsildar at who, in turn, had hired services Valley. The Board was never grims performed darshan in disturb the peaceful atmosphere a complete bandh on Tuesday. —Excelsior/Madan remaining closed and transport on holy festival of Eid by was off the roads. The people also Dhar Ghaloon, where Tehsildar of Khaliq and Farooq and interested that the yatra should 2012. However the number indulging into a sacrilegious act ud-Din. The DC Kathua, said people were given assurance held a demonstration in the town had to take charge on next day approached Hizbul Mujahideen increase and more and more pil- declined by 45 percent in 2013 and they will not be spared at any Shahid Iqbal and SSP Kathua by him and Deputy protesting yesterday's sacrile- of the blast. operative Abdul Majeed Dar grims should visit the holy cave when only 3.50 lakh pilgrims cost. Mohan Lal visited Bhoondh Commissioner Kathua, Shahid gious act in Bhoondh area and The unidentified persons son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din otherwise there was no harm in performed darshan in the holy Meanwhile, Bhoondh town- today again to monitor the situ- Iqbal that the culprits will be demanded stern action against wanted Tehsil office to be head- Dar of Nagri, Kupwara. running the yatra from Jesht cave. ship in Basohli tehsil of Kathua ation while SDPO Basohli is arrested soon and dealt under law. culprits. quartered at Bhatta Dhurian, Irfan, who had been given Purnima to Sawan Purnima as According to data during the district where a peaceful bandh camping there. Reports said total bandh was Total bandh was also was a precedence, he added. year 2004 when the yatra period was observed for second con- Police said that the situation is observed in Kathua, Basohli, observed in Bani, Billawar, He said every year contro- was increased to 60 days four secutive day after the yester- calm and under control as no Billawar, Hiranagar and other Gujjar Nagrota, Ramkote, Mahar versy is being created on lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at day's sacrilegious act which untoward was reported from any small townships of Kathua dis- Nagrota, Phenter, Guda Kalyal, Amarnath yatra. He criticized holy cave. In 2005 also four sparked off widespread where in the area. trict today with transport remain- Hiranagar and Ghagwal for the the Board for fixing the duration lakh pilgrims had visited the protests remained calm today. SSP Kathua Mohan Lal said ing off the roads and shopkeepers whole day. However no untoward of yatra from 60 days to 44 days cave shrine while in 2003 when downing the shutters of their incident was reported from any and demanded that yatra period the duration of yatra was only Centre castigates State for delaying business establishments. side. be extended beyond 60 dyas. 30 days 1.70 lakh pilgrims had A complete bandh was The district administration He said creating hurdles by performed darshan in the cave PMGSY projects worth Rs 2715 cr observed in Kathua township had also taken elaborate mea- Board in free movement of shrine. execution capacity of the State the execution capacity of State. today and transport remained off sures to deal with the situation yatris and restricting the regis- In 2006 about 3.50 lakh pil- indicate that seven States includ- The letter, written by Manju the roads in Kathua township and and adequate police force was tration were some other prob- grims visited the holy cave, ing Jammu and Kashmir already Rajpal, Deputy Secretary in the on other link roads. However, the deployed in these townships.