5 August : A high-level Central team in Jammu to review the law and situation in Jammu and Kashmir over the Amarnath land row has directed the state authorities to ensure security to life and property while enforcing law.
The team asked the authorities to maintain communal harmony at all costs and ensure that minorities do not feel insecure, an official statement said in Jammu on Tuesday.
During the two-hour meeting on Monday, the team comprising Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and Director General of CRPF V K Joshi said "no element should be allowed to exploit the situation."
"The situation should be handled in such a way that life and property of the people are fully protected. Communal harmony must be maintained at all costs and it must be ensured that minorities do not feel insecure."
The team directed the administration to ensure that supply of essential goods are maintained despite continuous bandhs.
As regards movement of trucks carrying essential commodities and general merchandise from other states, Gupta said all measures had been initiated to ensure uninterrupted movement of trucks.
The meeting was attended by state principal secretary of home, director general of police and other senior police officers.
J&K govt orders magisterial probe into Samba police firing Jammu and Kashmir government orders magisterial probe into police firing in Samba district in which two persons were killed and 18 injured during a protest rally on the Amarnath land transfer row.
On Tuesday curfew was relaxed for three hours in Jammu and Udhampur, but remained in force in three other districts in the region where it was imposed on 1st August following agitation over the Amarnath land transfer issue.
"Curfew relaxation was given in only two out of five district areas on 5th day. No relaxation was given in Rajouri, Bhaderwah and Samba district, where two persons were killed and 18 injured in police firing on Monday," official sources said.
Army patrolled the Jammu-Srinagar National highway to keep it clear for traffic in view of a blockade call given by the Shri Amarnath Sangrash Samiti (SASS).
Curfew was relaxed from 0500 to 0800 hrs in Jammu and from 0700 hrs to 1000 hrs in Udhampur, and no untoward incident was reported during the period which was used by people to buy essential commodities.
After curfew was re-imposed, army staged flag marches in the sensitive areas of the region.The 37-day old agitation has left seven persons dead and over 200 injured.
The incident took place on Monday when two youths were killed and at least 29 others injured in police firing in Samba town of Jammu region as demonstrators demanding restoration of land to the Amarnath shrine board came out on the streets defying curfew.
Police resorted to baton-charge and teargassing and when these proved ineffective, they opened fire in which Sanjeev Kumar (24) and Sunny Padha (30) were killed and one suffered injuries.
Meanwhile, a high level team including Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh reviewed the overall situation with top officers of the state.
Khajuria demands dismissal of Vohra
Jammu, Aug 5: State BJP president Ashok Khajuria today demanded immediate dismissal of Governor NN Vohra, saying his continuation in the state even for a day is detrimental to the paramount national interest in the state. He said it is unfortunate that NN Vohra, who is also the constitutional head of the state, has, instead of taking on the separatists and religious extremists in Kashmir and curbing the separatist psyche, has unleashed a reign of senseless brutalities on the peaceful protestors across Jammu province.
Condemning Governor Vohra and Central government headed by Congress for trying to portray the essentially secular and all embracing movement in Jammu as communal, he held him directly responsible for the brutal murder of Sanjeev Singh and Sunny Padha of Samba, who were participating in a peaceful rally and demanding revocation of land transfer order of July 1 passed by the Jammu based Congress minister heading a minority government, Khajuria said.
"The BJP condemns in downright language Vohra’s repressive and oppressive regime, which has till date consumed seven precious lives and left hundreds of others wounded, some of them struggling for their life in different hospitals of Jammu province," said Khajuria. He said, it is condemnable that Governor Vohra has been targeting the patriots and ardent believers in the concept of secularism and democracy in order to boost the separatist and communal psyche in Kashmir.
BJP president lambasted those in the administrative apparatus, who though belonging to Jammu have joined Governor Vohra’s crusade against nationalists whose only fault is that they are demanding restoration of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for temporary facilities for pilgrims. He took umbrage to the government propaganda that economic blockade has enforced by the people of Jammu, whereas the truth is that the Governor’s dispendsation has left the aggrieved and the angry people of Jammu to come on the roads in their thousands to protest against the provocative actions of the state administration, which is trying to the hilt to punish them and crush their mass struggle.
Khajuria demanded that curfew should be lifted immediately, army be withdrawn and sent to Kashmir to crush the anti-national elements there, mediapersons be allowed to perform their professional duties unhindered, and SMS facility be restored as per the directions of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.