Following violence curfew imposed in Jammu

SRINAGAR,: Authorities on Friday imposed curfew in several parts of Jammu city following violence by unruly mobs in the aftermath of a militant attack in southern Kashmir’s Pulwama district that left over 40 CRPF personnel dead and several others injured.
The Jammu deputy commissioner Ramesh Kumar imposed a curfew in entire Jammu city as a precautionary measure following massive protests and stray incidents of violence over the militant attack in Pulwama.
“In view of prevailing law and order situation in Jammu district, there is every likelihood of breach of peace, which may lead to acts of arson, targeting vehicles and causing loss of life and property. In order to maintain law and order, public tranquility and to protect life and property of general public, I, Ramesh Kumar, district magistrate Jammu, in exercise of powers vested in me under Section 144 Cr PC hereby impose curfew in the area of whole Jammu city,” said an order of the district magistrate.
The curfew was imposed after unruly mobs torched several vehicles and vandalised many others.
According to reports “The trouble erupted when a group of people belonging to various organisations including Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, and VHP took out a procession carrying tricolour through Gujjar Nagar, which is predominantly inhabited by Muslims”.
IGP Jammu asked people to maintain calm. “Don’t play into the hands of anti- national elements. They want to disturb our societal harmony. Defeat their designs. Don’t get provoked. Maintain calm,” he said.
The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry had called for a shutdown in Jammu while Jammu Bar Association supported it.
Reports said that a large contingent of forces has been deployed in the area to control the situation.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that giving vent to anger by attacking innocent people because of their ethnicity or religion is no way to honour the sacrifices of the CRPF personnel who were killed in a militant attack in Pulwama on Thursday.
Omar said that the reports of violence and arson in Jammu are deeply worrying. I” hope political leaders & civil society are able to ensure cooler heads prevail.”

He tweeted: “Kashmiris/Muslims in Jammu didn’t attack our CRPF jawans yesterday, terrorists did. This violence is a convenient tool by some to shift the blame. Let’s unite against terror let’s not allow terror to divide us.” (PTK)