By NNN-PTI,
Jammu : Seventy Shiv Sena and BJP activists were arrested as they clashed with police during a bandh (strike) called by them in protest against Jammu and Kashmir state government’s decision not to hand over forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board.
Nine persons were injured in a baton charge and stone pelting during the clash, sources said.
Protesters also attacked houses of State Health minister and senior Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma and PDP MLA Shanti Devi, official sources said.
BJP, VHP and Shiv Sena activists clashed with police at Ragunath bazaar, city chowk, Bikram chowk, Muthi, Kathua, R S Pura, Udhampur, Nagrota, Bari Brahamana, Vijaypur and Samba areas in Jammu district during the bandh.
The protestors also burnt effigies of Governor Vohra, CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and former Deputy CM Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
Pathankot-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was blocked at 6 places in Kathua, Samba, Jammu and Udhampur districts, where protestors put up barricades, thereby stranding over 2000 vehicles.
Ten activists were arrested in Jammu and 60 arrested in Kathua district, they said adding that police baton charged over 1000 BJP activists to resort traffic on Tawi bridge.
“The situation is under control. There is no major incident reported from anywhere in Jammu region. Some preventive arrests were made,” Inspector General of Police Jammu, K Rajindra said.