Land transfer 'U-turn' rocks Jammu

Srinagar: Protests over the transfer of government land to a Hindu trust seemed to abate in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley yesterday after the government went back on its decision but the move sparked unease in Hindu-majority Jammu with angry youths attacking the office of the Peoples Democratic Party over the government's "U-turn" on the issue.

In the valley, which had witnessed violent protests over the past week, a shutdown disrupted normal life for the seventh straight day even after the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) relinquished its claim to the controversial land. However, no violent incidents were reported.

Severe shortages of petrol, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas, vegetables, and other foodstuffs had begun to tell in Srinagar after supplies from outside the valley were hard hit by the bad law and order situation.

Hundreds of Hindu pilgrims to the Amarnath cave shrine, meanwhile, continued their journey and, despite the shutdown, vehicles carrying them to and from the north Kashmir Baltal base camp plied normally.

Jammu observed a virtual shutdown yesterday in response to a call by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bajrang Dal, the Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Police baton-charged demonstrators at Vikram Chowk, where agitated youth were trying to put up a road block.

Shops and business establishments remained closed and public transport kept off the road in the city as protesters poured into the streets. An agitated mob threw stones at the PDP headquarters in Jammu.

The PDP, which pulled out of the coalition government on Saturday, had mounted a campaign for the revocation of the land transfer order despite the fact that two of its ministers had signed the order.