Kashmiri Pandits' (KPs) biggest township in Jammu, Jagti township, today observed a shutdown in protest against those who are opposing the return and rehabilitation of the displaced community members in a composite township in Kashmir Valley.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in the township on a call given by the Jagti Tenement Committee.
The committee members organised the bandh in protest mainly against separatists opposing the proposed townships for KPs in Valley and government's alleged U-turn not to settle the community in townships in Kashmir Valley.
The protesting KPs clashed with police, which resorted to a mild cane charge to disperse them from blocking the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
Over 1,200 KPs, including women and children, led by the Jagti Tentment Committee president Shadi Lal Pandita, held anti-government and anti-separatists' protest against their (separatists') opposition to return of KPs to Valley.
Raising anti-government and anti-separatist slogans, they also walked upto the Jammu-Srinagar highway and blocked it for one hour period.
Amid heavy police deployment, they also staged a sit-in on the highway raising anti-government slogans and blocked the traffic.
As police forced them to remove blockade, they clashed with police, who resorted to mild cane charge to disperse them and restored the traffic.
"We have observed the shutdown in Jagti township today in protest against those in Kashmir who opposed the settlement of KPs in proposed township in Valley," Pandita told reporters here.
Jagti is the biggest township of KPs with nearly 5,000 quarters located in Nagrota belt in outskirts of Jammu city.
The decision was taken by all the political as well as social organisations of Jagti migrant camp yesterday, he said.
Pandita demanded arrest of Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik for their utterances and opposition of proposed townships for KPs in Valley.
"They are are the people who killed hundreds of Kps and forced them to leave their homes and hearths in Kashmir Valley and now they are standing like rock not to allow KPs to return back to Kashmir and settle there," he charged.
They don't want Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs to unite in Kashmir and only are hell bent on creating wedges between them for their political ends, he said.
Centre and state governments have succumbed before them and they should not come under their pressure and go ahead with proposed township plan after arresting them, he said.
