Over 1.5 lakh court arrest in Jammu amid sporadic violence

Jammu, Aug 18 (UNI) Responding overwhelmingly to the call of 'Jail Bharo Andolan' given by the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (SAYSS), a conglomerate of 40 political, social and religious organizations, spearheading the agitation demanding restoration of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB over 1.5 protestors including women courted arrest in different districts of Jammu region ''Over 1.5 protestors including women have courted arrest in different districts of Jammu region,'' Leela Karan Sharma, convener SAYSS said at a press conference here today.

Mr Sharma said lakhs of people came out of their houses courting arrest demanding land back to the Shrine Board. However, carrying Tri-colour and chanting 'Bam-Bam Bhole', protestors gathered outside different police stations to court arrest, sources said.

''The localities under the jurisdiction of Gandhi Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Satwari and City Police Station observed a massive rush of protestors, who reached outside these police stations for arrest,'' sources maintained.

''The figure was increasing but the police authorities have failed to accommodate the huge rush of protestors,'' the SAYSS convenor added.

Besides male members, women will court arrest on tomorrow, followed by children on Wednesday.

''The police, however, resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells in Udhampur to disperse the protestors who were peacefully heading towards police stations to court arrest,'' Mr Sharma said.

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