Police lathicharge at PDP rally in Jammu

Jammu, June 16 (UNI) West Pakistani refugees led by Shiv Sena (Thackeray) activists today attempted to disrupt the public rally of People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti at Jhri, about 15 km from here, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The PDP supporters resisted the protesters, who tried to storm the rally, triggering clashes between two groups.

The police party, which was supervising the rally, intervened to control the situation. ''However, the protestors started throwing stones on the gathering, forcing police to resort to cane charge,'' eye witnesses told UNI, adding several people received baton injuries and were taken to the nearby health centre.

Police also took some of the Shiv Sena activists, including its state president Aanan Sharma, into preventive custody to bring situation under control.

The protesters were criticising the PDP of stonewalling rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees, who had migrated to Jammu in 1947.

The Congress had suggested granting citizenship rights to West Pak refugees but its main ally in state coalition, the PDP, had raised objection to it.

More than 50,000 people had migrated to Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan but they can neither vote for state assembly nor own property in the state.

The Indian constitution, under Article 370, grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir by virtue of which only the natives of the state are entitled to the citizenship rights.

UNI