Undeclared emergency situation in curfew-hit Jammu

Jammu, Aug 3 (UNI) The Government today banned two popular local news channels and imposed restriction on the cable TV operators in Jammu as the City of Temples virtually turned into an emergency zone.

Even the short message service (SMS) on mobile telephony was barred.

Curfew was extended to the entire Jammu region and the national highway 1-A was handed over to Army for ensuring smooth movement of stranded vehicles and transport of essential commodities to the Kashmir valley.

''Operations of two local TV news channels -- Take 1 TV and JK Channel -- have been stopped and cable operators have also been ordered to cease distribution of content in the winter capital,'' a senior government official confirmed to UNI.

Police have ceased the offices of local channels, which were continuously running programmes and discussions on situation in Jammu, sources said.

The SMS facility on mobile phones was also disabled. ''We have to make calls as SMSing from mobile is out of service,'' said Abhijit Sharma, an engineering student.

Meanwhile, mediapersons covering the daily incidents in troubled Jammu region were subjected to police highhandedness.

Senior Correspondent of Aaj Tak news channel Ashwani Kumar got injured in police action at Gandhi Nagar locality.

Mr Kumar was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for treatment, sources said.

''Administration clamped curfew in all the ten districts -- Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Poonch -- of the winter capital zone in the midnight,'' a police spokesperson told UNI.

On the request of civil administration, Army is out in all the districts to control the situation.

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