BJP's 'chakka jam' paralyses life in Jammu

Normal life was affected in Jammu on Saturday due to a three-hour 'chakka jam' called by Bharatiya Janata Party protesting the surrender policy for youths who went to PoK for arms training and demanding that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah withdraw his statement on accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India.

Public and private transport was off the roads and shops and business establishments remained closed, hitting the normal life from 0800 hours to 1100 hours in the city.

There was very thin attendance in government offices, banks and educational institutions due to lack of transport facilities.

BJP activists staged sit-ins in various parts of the city and blocked the Tawi bridge on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway raising anti-government slogans.

They also burnt effigies of government at several places. "The agitation passed off peacefully. There was no untoward incident reported from anywhere during the period of three hours," a police spokesman said.

"There was complete bandh today for three hours in protest against the statement of Omar on the floor of Assembly last month over accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India and also against return and rehabilitation of the militants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," BJP state president Shamshir Singh Manhas told mediapersons in Jammu.

The much-talked about surrender policy for youths who had exfiltrated from Jammu and Kashmir between 1989 and 2009 for arms training and have a change of heart now was cleared by the state cabinet on November 22.

Manhas said BJP warns the chief minister "not to compete with secessionists by making statements about the status of Jammu and Kashmir".

National Conference and Omar is "in competition" not only with Peoples Democratic Party but with separatists to become "champion of Kashmir-centric approach," he charged.