Dozen booked in Rajouri for stoking communal passion

Around a dozen people have been booked for stoking communal passions in Jammu and Kashmir's tension-ridden Rajouri town, police said on Sunday.

"Around a dozen people have been booked by police in Rajouri town for trying to stoke communal passions through social media network," a senior police officer told IANS here, adding the accused had posted inflammatory posts and pictures on social media to disturb communal harmony.

Tension had gripped the town last week when a local policeman who was transporting his milch buffalo was stopped and assaulted by some people who alleged the animal was being transported for slaughter.

Muslim community in Rajouri and adjacent areas have been protesting against the incident since then and shops, transport and other businesses belonging to the community have remained closed for the las ttwo days.

State Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department Minister Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali has assured the locals that those responsible for manhandling the policeman will be brought to justice, but the protesters say the assailants have still not been arrested.