Fearing a flare-up, the government suspended mobile Internet services and deployed police in strength to maintain law and order. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed for calm, saying, “Jammu and Kashmir is the most secular place” and it should not be “hijacked extremist forces”.
She said some elements were “hell-bent” on creating communal tension in the region but the people of Jammu, irrespective of their religion, must unite and fight the nefarious designs of such forces.
She warned that communal politics in Jammu region could have a disastrous effect as the state was already facing separatism in the Kashmir valley. “Separatism and communalism are the two faces of a same coin and they ultimately divide the society and the country,” she said while addressing a function at Jammu University.
The city on Tuesday night saw protesters setting three vehicles on fire and resorting to stone pelting on the police after the alleged desecration of an ancient temple situated in Roop Nagar area, apparently by a “mentally disturbed” person. On Wednesday, a few incidents of stone pelting were reported, barring which the situation across Jammu region remained by and large normal.
Even though no political or social organisation had called for bandh, the businessmen and transporters decided to observe a shutdown in protest against the desecration of the temple.
Most of the shops and business establishments remained closed whereas traffic remained off the road. “The situation right now is normal barring a few incidents of protests by local residents. We have deployed adequate number of police personnel,” said Simrandeep Singh, Jammu Deputy Commissioner. He said that even as the mobile Internet services have been snapped, no curfew or Section 144 is in force in any part of the city.
“The situation does not warrant the imposition of curfew or Section 144 as it would create problems for the masses. The situation is restricted to one place and that too is under control and we are regularly monitoring it,” Singh said.
A huge posse of police personnel, geared with anti-riots equipment, were deployed in the area after protesters had set three vehicles on fire and resorted to stone pelting on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, people gathered at the Aap Shamboo temple and performed the Shudi Karan Puja there. Mehbooba said time and again the people of Jammu have showcased their secular credentials and it was evident from the fact that the region gave refuge to people who came there while fleeing from militancy-hit areas.
Police said the person accused of desecrating the temple was “mentally unstable” and that he had been arrested. The issue also resonated in the state Assembly where BJP members created ruckus as soon as the House assembled.
“It is matter of serious concern...Some anti-social elements have carried out an anti-social act. Situation in Jammu is bad. The government should make a statement,” BJP MLA Ravinder Raina said. National Conference’s Altaf Ahmad Kaloo and Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rasheed also joined in, demanding that the government should ensure safety of Kashmiris in Jammu region.
“Four boys from Pahalgam area have been arrested in Jammu. What is their fault?” Kaloo asked. The BJP members took offence to intervention from Rasheed and Kaloo and exchanged heated words.
CPI(M) MLA MY Tarigami intervened, saying the entire House should condemn the incident and appeal for maintaining calm and brotherhood. “Let us not divide this state along communal lines,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Omar Abdullah supported Tarigami, saying, “It would have been better if the suggestion had come from the Treasury Benches.”
“Usually, the Chief Minister comes here (assembly) and intervenes but today neither she nor the Deputy Chief Minister is here when the situation in Jammu is on the brink,” he said.
Omar said that instead of fighting over the issue, the legislators “should set an example for the people to follow on ground. What we do here will be cue for the people in Jammu”.
Earlier, Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan made a statement on the issue, saying “As per information received by Roopnagar police station, one mentally disturbed person, identified as Yasir of Doda, tried damaging and defiling a temple in Janipur area.”
Two civilians injured in Shopian grenade attacks
Militants today carried out two grenade attacks within a span of 10 minutes in Shopian district of Kashmir, resulting in injuries to two civilians, police said.
The first attack took place at 5.30 pm when militants lobbed a grenade at the police station building complex in Shopian town, a police official said. The grenade exploded in the compound of the police
station without causing any damage, he said. In the second attack, the ultras hurled a grenade at Batapora chowk.