by News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu: Normal life was thrown out of gear here on Thursday as Jammu – winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir- observed complete shut down in response to a strike call by Akal Takht in protest against the `actions of Dera Sacha Sauda chief.
Though the shut down in Jammu remained peaceful, there were reports of violence pouring in from border district of Poonch, where protestors reportedly went berserk and smashed window panes of few government buildings including a school.
All the shops, business establishments and educational institutions in Jammu and its suburbs including RS Pura, Miransahib, Kathua, Samba and Nagrota remained closed, while commercial traffic remained out of the road.
Numbers of Sikh youth were seen rooming in the city roads carrying roads, sticks, swords and hockey sticks enforcing band. The youth held protest demonstrations at several places inside the city and burnt tiers on the roads to disrupt the traffic movement.
Office goers and people coming from out of the city were the worst sufferers of the strike as they had to cover long distance on foot in absence of commercial traffic.
Reports pouring in border district of Poonch revealed that a group of youth protesting against the Dera Sacha Souda chief went berserk and smashed the window pane of few government buildings including sub office of Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education and a High School.
The protestors, who were raising slogans against the Dera chief Guru Ram Rahim were later intercepted by a heavy contingent of police and para-military personnel and stopped to move further in the town, sources told News Agency of Kashmir on phone.
The shutdown call was given by Punjab based Akhal Takht, in protest against the action of Dera sect chief, who last allegedly week attired himself like the 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh, offending the sensibilities of Sikhs and resulting in large-scale violence in Punjab.