By IANS,
Jammu : Agitators here Wednesday extended till Aug 20 the Jammu shutdown to press their demand for restoring land earlier allotted to the Amarnath shrine management.
Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti has extended Jammu shutdown until August 20 to further push forward its demand for restoration of the land allotment to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, which was cancelled by the state government July 1, the samiti announced.
After a meeting of the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, a conglomerate of over 30 groups, its convenor Leela Karan Sharma said Wednesday the government has failed to address the basic issue of the land restoration and was “focused on the Kashmir Valley where diversionary tactics were being employed to sabotage the Jammu agitation”.
“We will not allow the attention to be shifted from our cause,” he said.
The Jammu and Kashmir government first allotted the 40-hectare forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for pilgrim facilities, but cancelled the allotment following protests in the Kashmir Valley. The July 1 decision to revoke land transfer has led to violent protests in Jammu region.
Meanwhile, the situation in Jammu region remained peaceful. People took out protest marches, chanting slogans hailing Hindu god Shiva and carrying the tricolour.