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| High security for march to PoK | | VIOLENCE OVER AMARNATH LAND ALLOTMENT |
| Press Trust Of India / Jammu/Srinagar Aug 11, 2008, 04:54 IST |
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The authorities in Jammu & Kashmir have deployed additional securitymen around the fruit markets here in view of the separatist call for a march to Muzaffarabad in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir tomorrow.
The march is in protest against the blockade of the valley by groups protesting against the revocation of land transfer to the Amarnath shrine board.
The Hurriyat Conference has announced that a convoy of fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir will proceed towards Muzaffarabad while the people of the Muslim majority areas of Jammu will march towards Rawalakote.
Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association had sought the support of the Hurriyat Conference for its programme of taking fruits to outside markets through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.
Curfew was today lifted in border districts of Poonch and Kathua and relaxed in Jammu, Samba, Rajouri and Udhampur.
Peaceful protests were, however, held in the region, where people burnt tyres and effigies of Governor NN Vohra.
“The district administration has lifted the curfew in border towns of Kathua and Poonch since 6 am today after four days of its imposition in view of an improvement in the law and order situation,” said a police officer.
Authorities also relaxed curfew in Jammu, Samba, Udhampur and Rajouri districts. There was no untoward incident, they said. In Jammu and Samba districts, where curfew continued for the 10th day today, it was relaxed for seven and five hours, respectively. In Udhampur and Rajouri, the curfew, on for the past seven days, was relaxed for two hours.
“Curfew was reimposed in all these districts. The army also conducted flag marches in Jammu and Samba districts,” said an official.
The army has choked roads, lanes and by-lanes with barbed-wire fencing, turning the Jammu city into a virtual battlefield. All entry and exits points are being manned by the army.
Reviewing the law and order and security situation in Jammu & Kashmir yesterday, Home Minister Shivraj Patil had asked the state government to deal with the current situation with a balanced approach.
People took out peaceful rallies at scores of places in Jammu, Samba, Poonch, Kathua and Udhampur districts of the Jammu region.
They also burnt tyres and effigies of Governor N N Vohra and raised slogans against him.
“However, there were no violent clashes with police or army at any place. There were no violent protests. The situation is tense but under control,” police said.
In a veiled attack on some Kashmiri leaders, senior BJP leader LK Advani today said no one can question allotment of land for Amarnath pilgrims in the valley declaring that “every Indian has the right on every inch of land” in the country and nobody can resist it.
Advani also said those opposing allotment of the land in Kashmir are challenging the constitutional fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country.
Criticising the forces opposed to the allotment of land Advani said, "They say how can you give land to outsiders in Kashmir... Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and whoever raises questions about this issue will have to pay for it."
He was speaking at a function to release the special issue of a children's magazine dedicated to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"This is not a question of Amarnath only or of a Shrine. They are saying it is okay that you have alloted land for Vaishno Devi in Jammu but how can you allot land in Kashmir," said BJP's prime ministerial candidate.
"And if somebody tries to resist that means he or she is challenging the constitutional fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Therefore, we will oppose their move with all our might and we will win," said Advani in an apparent reference to the campaign by opponents of land transfer.
Comparing the present agitation in Jammu over the Amarnath issue to the protest launched by Jana Sangh ideologue Shyama Prasad Mukherjee 55 years ago for cancelling the "visa" system for those visiting Jammu and Kashmir, BJP leader L K Advani today said "we have turned a full circle".
"Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had promised the people during that agitation that he would either get the permit system abolished or sacrifice his life ... Today (after the Amarnath agitation) we seem to have turned a full circle," Advani said.
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