Clashes over temple ‘desecration’

Mobile Internet services were suspended in Jammu Wednesday amid tensions over the alleged desecration of a temple in Roop Nagar area of the state’s winter capital

The incident that took place late on Tuesday afternoon, sparking protests by irate crowds which stoned a police station and torched two police school buses, three cars and two motorbikes, officials said. They added that police had to used “mild force” to bring the situation under control.

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was on a scheduled visit of Jammu to inaugurate a new examination block at Jammu University, and her deputy Mr Nirmal Singh were personally monitoring the situation.

Ms Mufti said the people of the state were strong believers of secularism and democracy, which had been the guiding principles of governance in the state. “I hope the emancipated people of Jammu will continue to uphold the greatest traditions of amity and communal harmony, which they have practiced over the years,” she said.

Reports from Jammu stated that on Wednesday morning, groups of youth went around forcing traders to shut shop. Though many of them obeyed, the shops reopened later and the town wore a normal look. However, the authorities have ordered closure of liquor shops and all bars till further orders.

Also, police and CRPF presence have been strengthened to bolster security in and around the city. Officials said that the mobile Internet services were suspended as a precautionary measure. Confirming the same, Jammu’s deputy commissioner (DC) Simrandeep Singh said that the decision to suspend mobile Internet services was taken to stop any further “flare-up of the situation”. He said if the situation remained normal, mobile Internet services would be back on Thursday morning.

The police, meanwhile, has arrested the person who allegedly damaged the temple. Identified as Yasir, the accused is a resident of J&K’s mountainous district of Doda and is “mentally disturbed”.

Witnesses said that late Tuesday afternoon, Yasir was being brought from Doda by his relatives to the clinic of Jammu’s well-known psychiatrist Dr Jagdish Thapa with his hands tied behind him. Before entering the clinic at Roop Nagar, his hands were untied. But Yasir gave his relatives the slip and rushed into the nearby temple and became violent when a group of devotees tried to overpower him.

He broke a few glass panes and pushed idols of different deities. “After knowing about the mental condition of the youth, the people didn’t protest about what he did in the temple. It was the mishandling of the situation by the police and particularly when a police ASI, Rahmat Allah, misbehaved with a pujari, Sanjay Kumar, that that they became angry and started protesting,” said a resident, Mr Amit Kumar.