The Jammu bandh, in its third day, today saw violence in some areas of the city and a brief detention of a Congress leader along with some party colleagues agitating for the demand for setting up of an AIIMS here.
Some youth, participating the agitation being spearheaded by a conglomerate of 70 organisations, pelted stones at police in Purani Mandi area of old city this afternoon, police said.
Police resorted to minor tear gas shelling to disperse the stone-pelting youth.
"The situation was brought under control," a police officer said, adding no one was injured.
Business establishments, market places and shop remained closed generally and public transport was off the roads in view of the 72-hour bandh call given by the AIIMS Coordination Committee (ACC) which is spearheading the agitation for an AIIMS in Jammu. The bandh began on Friday morning.
Protesters blocked the highway and various roads in the city by burning tyres, police sources said.
Congress workers led by the state unit's senior Vice President Sham Lal Sharma took out a march in support of AIIMS demand, defying restrictions under 144 CrPc in Bakshinagar area today.
Police prevented them from moving ahead and detained Sharma, a former minister in the state, along with 16 other party colleagues at Bakshinagar police station.
As the news spread, a large number of Congress workers and leaders including former Minister Raman Bhalla rushed to the police station forcing police to release Sharma and others.
Later, they took out a big procession in the area accusing BJP of "playing fraud" with people of Jammu on AIIMS despite getting 25 Assembly seats from the region.
"16-18 Congress leaders and activists including Sharma were detained for defying restrictions and later released," a senior Police officer said.
Meanwhile, BJP Minister Chander Prakash Ganga faced a difficult situation when his cavalcade was surrounded by a large number of protesters at Tawi Bridge.
He faced slogans against him and BJP Ministers before security personnel came to his rescue.
