An ancient temple and two houses were gutted in a fire, triggering tension in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, where a shutdown was today observed in protest over the incident, police said.
A temple and two houses in Mughal Maidan area in the district were gutted in a blaze last night. It was not immediately clear as to what caused it, a police officer said.
As the news spread, a shut-down was today observed following a call given by the Sanatum Dharam Sabha (SDS).
All shops and business establishments remained closed in the city.
Minister of State for Roads and Buildings, Sunil Sharma and senior police officials, including IGP Jammu, Danish Rana and the SSP Kishtwar Sandeep Wazir rushed to the spot and are investigating the matter.
"A temple has been burnt, we are on the spot. A probe is on," the Minister said.
"The temple along with two houses was completely damaged in the fire. Senior officials have reached the spot to ascertain the cause of the incident," a senior police official said.
However, the local residents blame that some miscreants might have set the temple ablaze.
The situation remains tense, but under control, after various Hindu outfits in the area have called for a complete shutdown in the district following incident, police said.
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Appealing to the people to maintain peace, Minister of State for Roads and Buildings Sunil Sharma said that some people were hell bent to disrupt the communal harmony in the region.
"I want to tell the people of Kishwar that some people are hell bent to throw this place into communal frenzy while some people are trying to erect walls between Hindus and Muslims. I appeal people to remain calm and foil such designs and maintain communal harmony," Sharma urged to the people, who were protesting in the town.
Later, while taking to reporters, Sharma said that the government will form a policy in which the members of the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and the Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the far-off areas would be asked to guard the religious places in their areas.
"When we have doubled their (SPO and VDC) salary we will frame a policy in which they will be deployed near religious places for night duty.
"We will soon tell the SSP to deploy the VDC members and SPOs to provide security to the religious places in the area," Sharma said.
He said that a thorough investigation would reveal whether the cause of fire was incidental or deliberate. "The investigations in this connections have been started."
Inspector General of Police Jammu Zone Danish Rana said that the police would use all the scientific method to collect all the evidence to find out the cause of fire.
"I have visited the spot and have instructed to start the investigations. Whatever evidence is required to be collected will be done and after that we will form the opinion," Rana said.
He said that the SSP would directly supervise the investigations into the fire incident.
"We will use all scientific method to collect evidence and ensure that we are able to find out who has done this if it happens to be some kind of mischief," the IG said.
