Kishtwar clashes: Omar Abdullah appeals for calm in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday appealed to the people of his state to maintain peace and assured that those responsible for the deaths and damage in Kishtwar and other areas will be severely punished.

"I do understand that at a certain a level the sentiments have been hurt, all I can do is assure the people on my behalf and on behalf of the Government that we will do everything that is necessary to ensure that this trouble does not spread to other parts of the state, we will also do everything necessary to restore calm, and maintain calm in Kishtwar and its surrounding areas," he told media here today.

"We will also ensure that as a result of the enquiry that has been ordered by the state government, the facts are made known to the people as to how the situation developed, and at the same time we will also ensure that any person responsible for the deaths and damage to property in Kishtwar and other areas will be brought to book and severe punishment will be handed out to them," he added.

Abdullah also accused some political parties of trying to exploit the situation.

"I am appealing to the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to fall pray to rumours, not to allow these political parties to exploit their sentiments. My aim is to make a direct appeal to the people and not so much to the political parties because their entire aim at this point seems to be recreate conditions of 2008 so that they can explot them in the subsequent parliament and then assembly elections," he said.

He further justified the involvement of the army to control the situation in Kishtwar on the day of Eid and other areas and said that the situation in Kishtwar was brought under control within a few hours.

"A situation developed on Eid in Kishtwar resulting in clashes between the Hindu and the Muslim communities. The Government responded to the unfolding situation, first by seeking to control the situation with police forces, both state and paramilitary that we had available to us. The police was outnumbered and unable to make significant impact on the crowd," he said.

"The DC sent a written request to the army asking them to come out in aid to civil administration as the constitution provides for and to conduct flag marches in Kishtwar town and to bring a swift end to the clashes between the two communities.

The army was brought in and the situation in Kishtwar was brought under control within a few hours," he added.

Abdullah further said that in an attempt to prevent spread of the trouble in parts of Jammu province, the army was involved in aid to civil administration in the town of Rajouri and parts of Jammu city itself.

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered a high level probe into the Kishtwar clashes which killed two people and left 20 injured.

Curfew was imposed in Kishtwar after incidents of violence in the district on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr that left two persons dead and several others injured, the violence has now spread to adjoining areas in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to reports, Kishtwar remained curfew bound for the third consecutive day on Sunday. Authorities also brought Jammu city and Rajouri town under curfew, in a bid to maintain law and order.

Curfew has been imposed on three more districts of Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in Jammu region on Sunday Army staged flag marches as tension prevailed following outbreak of communal violence in Kishtwar.