Clashes in Jammu as 'lunatic' defiles Hindu temple; Mehbooba monitoring situation

Srinagar: Mobile internet services were suspended in Jammu amid heightening tensions over alleged desecration of a temple in Roop Nagar area of Srinagar.

The incident took place late Tuesday afternoon, sparking off protests by irate crowds that attacked a police station with stones and torched two police school buses, three cars and two motorbikes, officials said.

The police used ‘mild force’ to bring the situation under control, the officials added.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, who was on a scheduled visit of Jammu for the inauguration of a new examination block at Jammu University said that she and deputy Nirmal Singh were personally monitoring the situation arising due to the alleged desecration.

Highlighting the secular outlook of the state, Mufti said, “I hope the emancipated people of Jammu would continue to uphold the greatest traditions of amity and communal harmony, which they have practised over the years,” she said.

Reports from Jammu said that on Wednesday morning, groups of youth went round forcing the traders to suspend work.

Read: Attempts being made to vitiate atmosphere in state: Omar Abdullah

Though many of them obeyed the diktat, shops reopened later and the town wore a normal look.

However, the authorities have ordered closure of all bars and liquor shops till further orders. Police and CRPF reinforcements have also been fanned out to in and around the city to strengthen security.

Jammu’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said that the decision to suspend the mobile Internet services was taken to stop any further “flare-up of the situation”.

He said if the situation remained normal, the suspension would be revoked by the evening.

The police has arrested the man who allegedly damaged the temple.

Identified as Yasir, the accused is a resident of J&K’s hilly district of Doda and is “mentally disturbed”.

Witnesses said that Yasir was brought to the clinic of Jammu’s well-known psychiatrist Dr Jagdish Thapa from Doda with his hands tied behind him with a rope late Tuesday afternoon.

Before entering the clinic at Roop Nagar, his hands were untied by his relatives accompanying him but Yasir gave them a slip and rushed into the nearby temple and turned violent when a group of devotees tried to overpower him.

He broke a few glass panes of the place of worship and pushed murtis of different deities.

“After knowing about the mental condition of the youth, the people didn’t protest over what he did in the temple. It was the mishandling of the situation by the police and particularly when a police ASI Rahmat Allah misbehaved with a pujari Sanjay Kumar that they became angry and started protesting,” said a resident Amit Kumar.

Officials, however, alleged that the pujari and some other locals tried to stop the policemen from discharging their duties and that some of those who indulged in violence were under the influence of alcohol.

The State Assembly, now in its budget session here, witnessed a ruckus as the BJP members demanded a statement from the government.

“It is a matter of serious concern as some anti-social elements have carried out an anti-social act,” said BJP MLA Ravinder Raina.

“The situation in Jammu is bad. The government should make a statement,” he added. Opposition National Conference’s Altaf Ahmad Kaloo and Independent Sheikh Abdur Rasheed also joined in, demanding that the government ensure safety of Kashmiris in Jammu region.

“Four boys from Pahalgam area have been arrested in Jammu. What is their fault?” Kaloo asked.

The BJP MLAs took offence to intervention from Kaloo and Rasheed leading to a heated exchange.

CPI (M) MLA M Y Tarigami later intervened, saying the entire House should condemn the incident and appeal for maintaining calm and brotherhood.

“Let us not divide this State along communal lines,” he said.

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, endorsed Tarigami’s view saying, “It would have been better if the suggestion had come from the Treasury Benches.”

He added, “Usually, the Chief Minister comes here (Assembly) and intervenes but today neither she nor the Deputy Chief Minister is here when the situation in Jammu is on the brink.”

Abdullah also said that instead of fighting over the issue, the lawmakers should set an example for the people to follow on ground. “What we do here will be cue for the people in Jammu”, he asserted.

Making a statement in the House, Minister for rural development Abdul Haq Khan said that the police had used mild force in dispersing protestors gathered outside the Janipur police station where Yasir was detained.

“The unruly mob was dispersed by resorting to mild lathi-charge and tear smoke. Three police personnel including the concerned station house officer received injuries while trying to disperse the mob. The minister said that police has registered two cases and taken up the investigations into the incidents.

“Some accused have been arrested. The preliminary investigations suggest that the accused person who entered the temple is a lunatic patient,” the minister said and also informed the House that Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister were in Jammu to oversee the situation following the incident.