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Jammu: Several hundred people defied curfew on Friday afternoon and marched toward the Raj Bhavan to protest the arrival of "Kashmiri leaders" for talks on the Amarnath land row. A mob torched a police post close to the governor's residence and fought a pitched battle with the police.
The mob clashed with the police. While the agitators showered stones, the police resorted to baton charge, teargassing and also opened fire in the air to disperse the agitators.
The agitators torched the police post in Panjtirthi area, close to the Raj Bhavan after its attempts to storm into the governor's residence were foiled by the police and paramilitary forces.
The agitators were protesting the presence of National Conference leader and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti at an all-party meeting Governor N.N. Vohra called here to discuss the Amarnath cave shrine land allotment row. Heavy police deployment failed to deter the agitators.
Earlier on their arrival from Srinagar here for the all-party meeting, Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were forced to stay within the airport for over three hours as the agitators blocked their way out. The agitators also pelted stones at the airport building and the security personnel.
In the wake of the airport incidents, curfew was imposed in the city, Samba and other nearby areas.
Helicopters refused
Worried security forces thought of rescuing the two state leaders and flying them out with helicopters to the Raj Bhavan for the all-party meeting. But Farooq and Mehbooba declined to use the helicopter.
As throngs of agitators dispersed, Abdullah and Mehbooba were moved by road, with three battalions of the state police and para-military forces virtually sealing the 12-kilometre stretch from the airport to the Raj Bhavan.
Meanwhile, the Jammu shutdown entered the ninth day Friday. Shops, commercial establishments and educational institutions were closed.
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