Shops and businesses were shut and streets wore a deserted look as the Jammu region observed a near-total strike on Sunday in response to a call by the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti to protest yesterday's police action on its activists.
Private vehicles did not ply on roads as normal came to a halt in the region on the opening day of the 48-hour shutdown called by the Samiti which spearheaded the stir for two months over the Amarnath land transfer row.
Officials, however, said there was no disruption of road traffic on national highways due to the strike.
Despite promulgation of prohibitory orders, residents at a few places staged demonstrations and burnt effigies of the Governor denouncing the police action.
Yesterday, police swung batons, lobbed teargas shells and fired in the air to prevent Samiti activists from holding a function to honour those killed in the agitation over the shrine land imbroglio.
Police had also sealed off the venue of the function to be held at the Abhinav Theatre here.
Samiti leaders yesterday said the shutdown was a warning to the state administration to implement the accord reached between them and the
government-appointed panel on the land issue at the earliest.
Samiti leaders yesterday said the shutdown was a warning to the state administration to implement the accord reached between them and the
government-appointed panel on the land issue at the earliest.
If the agreement is not implemented, the Samiti would be forced to chalk out its future course of action, the leaders had said.