The nationwide bandh called by the BJP and VHP on Thursday over the revocation of the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to transfer land to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) evoked a mixed response. The BJP said it would continue to protest against the revocation of the decision.
The protests, however, were shriller in most of the BJP-ruled states barring Gujarat, which opted out of the bandh programme in view of the rathyatra in the state scheduled for Friday. The bandh turned violent in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where two persons were killed.
Normal life was hit in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam and Jharkhand, where stone-pelting and road blockades were reported, prompting the police to resort to a lathicharges.
The bandh evoked little or no response in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura. No untoward incident was reported in Delhi but several arterial roads were blocked. Shops and business establishments remained closed in a few areas. But Jammu region, the epicentre of protests since Tuesday, had no respite from violence as protesters set vehicles on fire and fought pitched battles with the police at several places.
Meanwhile, claiming the nationwide shutdown was successful, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the rallies would be held till the 40 hectares were handed back to the SASB, which manages the pilgrimage to the shrine. "The rallies would be held by the state units and Central leaders would address them," he said. Commenting on the violence in Indore, which led to two people being killed and curfew being imposed in some areas, he said, "This was the result of some mischief."
He added the strike was completely peaceful.
Courtesy : www.asianage.com
The protests, however, were shriller in most of the BJP-ruled states barring Gujarat, which opted out of the bandh programme in view of the rathyatra in the state scheduled for Friday. The bandh turned violent in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where two persons were killed.
Normal life was hit in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam and Jharkhand, where stone-pelting and road blockades were reported, prompting the police to resort to a lathicharges.
The bandh evoked little or no response in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura. No untoward incident was reported in Delhi but several arterial roads were blocked. Shops and business establishments remained closed in a few areas. But Jammu region, the epicentre of protests since Tuesday, had no respite from violence as protesters set vehicles on fire and fought pitched battles with the police at several places.
Meanwhile, claiming the nationwide shutdown was successful, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the rallies would be held till the 40 hectares were handed back to the SASB, which manages the pilgrimage to the shrine. "The rallies would be held by the state units and Central leaders would address them," he said. Commenting on the violence in Indore, which led to two people being killed and curfew being imposed in some areas, he said, "This was the result of some mischief."
He added the strike was completely peaceful.
Courtesy : www.asianage.com