Army and security personnel patrol curfew area on Sunday. (PTI)
The communal violence in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, led to several disruptions in Parliament on Monday morning, with an angry BJP protesting over senior leader Arun Jaitley being stopped from visiting the violence-hit town yesterday and accusing the J&K government of "hiding the truth."
The Centre has asked the state government for a report amid allegations that Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo of the ruling National Conference, the local legislator, did nothing to check the violence.
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Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Jaitley said: "the state of J&K is not a personal property of one family. It is an integral part of India and you will have to decide how it will be governed." He added: "What if BJP governments start preventing Congress leaders from entering their states? This is not a banana republic."
Mr Jaitley targeted the Centre as well as the state's Omar Abdullah government for the delay in action, saying the mayhem in Kishtwar was allowed to spiral for six-seven hours. "When the selective targeting started, it was brought to the notice at the highest level. The Prime Minister was spoken to in minutes. People were crying out of helplessness and police were a mute spectator," he said.
Earlier, senior minister P Chidambaram had offered to make a statement on Kishtwar to demonstrate that "the government was not fighting shy of making a statement." But as he tried to speak, he was repeatedly stopped by deputy chairman PJ Kurien, who said he had allowed Mr Jaitley to speak first.
The senior BJP leader had told NDTV this morning that his party "suspects the hand or laxity of one state leader" in the Kishtwar violence and has questioned the role of state Home Minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, the National Conference legislator of the area.
Mr Kichloo resigned today, citing Mr Jaitley's allegation. The BJP has accused Mr Kichloo of fomenting violence and doing nothing to control the situation for hours.
Mr Jaitley told NDTV: "Why did the violence go unabated for six-seven hours? Somebody has to be accountable. What was the state Home Minister doing there? What were the district collector and Senior Superintendent of Police doing there? Is there a connivance of the state government?"
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has ordered a judicial probe into the clashes that have killed three persons over the weekend. He tweeted this morning, "In order to establish the truth behind the Kishtwar violence and what followed, the State Government has decided to order a judicial inquiry." He also called an all-party meeting in Jammu.
There is curfew in five districts of the state, including in Jammu. All schools and colleges are closed today. Curfew was imposed in Jammu yesterday after incidents of arson and violence were reported.
Internet connectivity on mobile phones was snapped in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. The state administration said such measures were being taken in a bid to prevent the spread of rumours in the wake of the communal violence in Kishtwar.
Communal clashes broke out in the Kishtwar area of Jammu province on Eid day and later spread to other parts of the region including Jammu city and Rajouri town.
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