Protesters clash with police in Jammu over AIIMS

A three-day shutdown here over the government's delay in announcing an AIIMS-like facility in the Jammu region turned violent on Friday when protesters clashed with police.

Police used batons and tear smoke shells to disperse protesters shouting anti-BJP slogans as they tried to force entry into the party office in Kachi Chaawni area of the city.

A committee of lawyers, traders, industrialists and civil society members called for a three-day shutdown beginning on Friday, accusing the central government of going back on its promise of setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Normal life was hit as shops, public transport and other businesses were adversely affected.

However, government offices, banks and post offices functioned normally.

"The Jammu region will remain shut on July 31, August 1 and 2," Abhinav Sharma, chairman of the committee and president of Jammu Bar Association said at a hurriedly convened midnight press conference.

"It became clear on July 20 that BJP had taken recourse to dirty politics as it failed to stand by its commitment to ensure that AIIMS for Jammu region is announced," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmal Singh had given a written assurance that AIIMS would be announced before July 21.