The indefinite curfew in Kishtwar ever since riots broke out on Friday has remained, without a break, for three days. Authorities also brought Jammu city and Rajouri town under curfew on Saturday, in a bid to maintain law and order even as arson and tension spread to other parts of the state.
While the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, who was on his way to violence-hit Kishtwar town, was detained at Jammu airport on Sunday, the PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was also put under house arrest in Srinagar by the Omar Abdullah government. BJP Rajya Sabha MP from
Punjab Avinash Rai Khanna, who was to accompany Jaitley to Kishtwar, was also detained by police while he was trying to enter Kathua on Sunday morning.
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah accused the BJP for flaring up the violence in Kishtwar. He said that the BJP was doing so to polarise the population with an eye on next year’s elections to Parliament and the assembly. Vowing to ensure swift action against those involved in violence that erupted on Friday and appealing to the people not to fall prey to rumours, he said the government has taken a decision not to allow any political party or leaders to visit the violence hit areas as it had the potential of deteriorating the situation.
‘And that includes Arun Jaitley too,’ Omar said soon after the BJP leader was detained at Jammu airport while he was on his way to Kishtwar for an on the spot assessment of the situation.
He said that he has also spoken to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. ‘In a telephonic conversation with the leader of opposition, I asked her to tell their people in the region to maintain calm and not to flare up the issue,’ Omar said.
However, reacting over detention of Jaitley, Narendra Modi said on Twitter, ‘Government does not want the truth about the Kishtwar violence to come out.’
While the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, who was on his way to violence-hit Kishtwar town, was detained at Jammu airport on Sunday, the PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti was also put under house arrest in Srinagar by the Omar Abdullah government. BJP Rajya Sabha MP from
Punjab Avinash Rai Khanna, who was to accompany Jaitley to Kishtwar, was also detained by police while he was trying to enter Kathua on Sunday morning.
J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah accused the BJP for flaring up the violence in Kishtwar. He said that the BJP was doing so to polarise the population with an eye on next year’s elections to Parliament and the assembly. Vowing to ensure swift action against those involved in violence that erupted on Friday and appealing to the people not to fall prey to rumours, he said the government has taken a decision not to allow any political party or leaders to visit the violence hit areas as it had the potential of deteriorating the situation.
‘And that includes Arun Jaitley too,’ Omar said soon after the BJP leader was detained at Jammu airport while he was on his way to Kishtwar for an on the spot assessment of the situation.
He said that he has also spoken to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. ‘In a telephonic conversation with the leader of opposition, I asked her to tell their people in the region to maintain calm and not to flare up the issue,’ Omar said.
However, reacting over detention of Jaitley, Narendra Modi said on Twitter, ‘Government does not want the truth about the Kishtwar violence to come out.’