NH blocked for 'politicising' Amarnath Shrine Board issue in Jammu

Jammu, Jun 24 (UNI) Hundreds of locals today staged protest and blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Nagrota in city outskirts against separatist leaders and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for ''politicising'' the transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.

Shouting anti-government slogans and criticising the recent statements of Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, the protestors demanded immediate action against the leaders and alleged that people with vested interests are dividing state on communal basis.

''Besides National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah, who demanded the government order sanctioning land diversion to be revoked, the PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has also asked for the cancellation of 800 kanals of land which was transferred to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board,'' alleged a local leader asserting that these leaders are ''politicising'' the issue just to woo Muslim voters in the Valley for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

However, the police dispersed the agitators to resume the traffic on the National Highway after about half an hour.

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