'Chakka Jam' peaceful, mixed response in Punjab

Chandigarh, Aug 13 (UNI) Braving the rains, activists of the BJP, Vishav Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena today blocked rail and road traffic for two hours at different places in Punjab during the 'chakka jam' agitation to protest against revocation of the order transferring land to the Amarnath Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir government.

Reoprts reaching here said that the bandh which received a mixed reponse led to the delay of several trains besides causing inconvienence to train and bus passengers. However no untoward incident was reported from any part of the border state.

A report from Gurdaspur said that rail traffic on the Pathankot-Jammu section was disrupted when the protestors sat on a dharna on the tracks on the outskirts of Pathankot town. Road traffic was also disrupted at Lakhanpur on the Punjab--J &K border.

BJP and VHP activists also sat on a dharna near the Gurdaspur railway station, disrupting traffic on the Amritsar-Pathankot section. Road traffic on the Amritsar-Pathankot Highway was also hit by blockades at Gurdaspur and Batala.

Rail traffic on the Pathankot-Jalandhar section was also hit following dharnas being staged at Dasuya and Mukerian in Hoshiarpur district. BJP and VHP activists also sat on a dharna outside the bus stand at Hoshiarpur and did not allow buses to leave.

A report from Kapurthala said that shopkeepers of the own also closed their establishments for two hours in support of the bandh call. The activists of Shiv Sena led by their state spokesman Jagdish Kataria staged a dharna outside the local bus stand and blocked vehicular traffic for two hours .

A report from Phagwara said that members of Sangh organisations blocked road traffic on the busy NH-I at Phagwara, Goraya and Phillaur.

A report from Patiala stated that activists of BJP and VHP stopped trains at the Rajpura railway station this morning. The Delhi bound Shatbadi Express and several other trains that had left Amritsar early this morning were delayed due to the bloackade.

The bandh call had no impact in Amritsar and Tarn Taran as protestors preferred to remain indoors due to a exceptional heavy downpur in the border regions. The bandh evoked a partial response in Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

UNI HS NC ND1705