Curfew in Rajouri, army carries out flag march

Indefinite curfew was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri town Tuesday afternoon following communal tension, police said. The army later carried out a flag march there.

"Indefinite curfew has been imposed in Rajouri town this afternoon to maintain law and order," a senior police officer told IANS here.

An order issued by District Magistrate Deepti Uppal said restrictions under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code were being imposed in the town after a situation arose that could lead to breach of peace.

Tension was brewing in Rajouri after some members of a Hindu right wing party torched a flag, which they claimed was of terror group ISIS, on Eid.

Muslims, who said the flag had sacred scripture written on it and its torching amounted to sacrilege, had called for a complete shutdown and "civil curfew" in the town on Tuesday in protest.

Fearing clashes between the two communities, authorities imposed curfew and intensified patrolling by police and security forces in the town.

The army carried out a flag march, defence spokesman Col. Manish Mehta told IANS.

"After district magistrate Rajouri requisitioned army's assistance to maintain law and order, a flag march was carried out in the town."