J&K minister's house attacked; 100 protestors held in Jammu bandh

Jammu, Jun 30 (UNI) The residence of Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister and senior Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma was today attacked by agitators, who were protesting against the state government's decision not to hand over forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

Hundreds of protestors, gheraoed the residence of Mr Sharma here and pelted stones amid anti-government slogans while they also attacked the residences of PDP MLA Shanti Devi and the party office of National Conference, official sources said.

Meanwhile, over a hundred activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh parties were arrested by police during a day-long bandh and at least 15 protestors were injured in batoncharge and stone pelting in Jammu, sources added.

Activists also lodged a strong protest on the city outskirts besides Kathua, R S Pura, Udhampur, Nagrota, Bari Brahamana, Vijaypur and Samba areas in Jammu region and burnt effigies of Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Muzaffar Hussain Baig and separatist leaders.

The Srinagar-Jammu-Pathankot National Highway remained blocked at certain places in different districts, where protestors put up barricades, thereby leaving over 1,500 vehicles stranded.

The holy town of Katra in Reasi district also observed complete shutdown while there was no effect on the Vaishno Devi yatra due to the bandh call as pilgrims kept visiting Katra for the pilgrimage, a police official said.

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