Train services disrupted in Jammu over Kishtwar violence

Rail services were disrupted today on the Jammu-Pathankot route as the ABVP activists stopped a train at the Kathua railway station protesting the recent clashes at Kishtwar district.

Demanding sacking of the Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo over the Kishtwar incident, the activists of ABVP blocked the railway tracks and raised anti-government slogans, police said.

The Ahmedabad-bound train from Jammu was stopped for a brief period by the activists at the Kathua station. However, the rail services were restored when the protesters left the spot.

Several political parties, including BJP, have blamed Kitchloo for the clashes between the two communities and demanded a high-level probe by independent authority.

Meanwhile, VHP condemned the communal violence in Kishtwar and asked the Centre to take immediate steps in this regard, otherwise it would have "far reaching repercussions".

"The killing of five jawans by the militants along the LoC is a well-planned conspiracy and the terrorists were responsible for the communal clashes in Kishtwar yesterday," VHP spokesperson Prakash Sharma said in a statement here.

"The Centre should take urgent measures to protect the minority communities and should or otherwise the incident would have far reaching repercussions," Sharma added.

Clashes between two communities left two people dead and at least 20 injured, several business establishments and vehicles gutted in arson in Kishtwar district where curfew was clamped and Army called in to assist the local administration in maintaining law and order yesterday.