Jammu: Jammu is once again on a boil over the Amarnath land row with violent clashes on for the last three days despite curfews.
The five-day bandh called by the Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti (AYSS) has been extended by another 72 hours.
Even as curfew was lifted in other parts of the city, area in north Jammu remained tense where clashes left over 30 people injured.
It was the fifth consecutive day of the strike, which started after the alleged suicide of an Amarnath protestor on Wednesday.
Former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad blamed his earlier coalition partner the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for the crisis
"The role of PDP was very unfortunate because the entire process was started by the PDP. The transfer of land came before the Cabinet only after the Forest Minister brought it before the Cabinet. When they saw some fundamentalists are wanting this land to be taken back, then PDP were the first to say that the government should handover as if they were not a part of the government," Azad said.
The AYSS, meanwhile, has extended the bandh till Thursday and the Petrol Tankers Association will block supplies to the entire state.
With public transport and markets shut down completely, it is a difficult time both for the general public and the pilgrims.
"We want to exempt the pilgrims from the strike. We have asked the hoteliers not to charge them excess rates," AYSS coordinator Leela Karan says.
It has been over a month since the Amarnath agitation first started in Jammu region. Now with strike extended and a complete deadlock over talks, it seems there is still more time to go before life returns to normal.
(With inputs from TN Khan)
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