Mass protests in Jammu against land transfer issue

Jammu, Jun 28 (UNI) A large number of people led by saffron parties today staged demonstrations and disrupted traffic on national highway here in protest against any move to revoke the transfer of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

Activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and BJP along with a large number of people took out a massive protest rally from Canal road.

They staged dharna at Jewel Chowk and burnt the effigies of former Chief Minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Hurriyat Conference leader Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani and Deputy Chief Minister M H Beig.

The protesters also blocked nearby Tawi Bridge and disrupted traffic movement, police control room official told UNI.

''The protests were peaceful and there is no report of any untoward incident during the agitation,'' the official said.

VHP state president Rama Kant Dubey while addressing the protesters said it was a part of party's nation-wide protest against Kashmiri leadership's demand for revoking transfer of land to the SASB.

''The VHP activists will gherao the mosques and Haj houses all over the country to lodge their protest against the move of Kashmiri leaders,'' Dr Dubey said.

He appealed to Governor N N Vohra to come out with an amicable decision to pacify the violent situation due to politisation of land transfer issue by the political parties for vested interests.

Protests in Jammu are clear sign of how the row on land transfer issue is dividing the militancy-survived state on religious grounds, as political and religious parties have launched counter-protests against the demand of revocation of transfer of land to the SASB.

UNI VJ SW HT1512