NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Blasts mar celebrations in J&K

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

The Republic Day was marked by eight explosions in Jammu and Kashmir despite unprecedented security arrangements.

The blasts, which fortunately saw no casualties, occurred Wednesday morning around Jammu city. Police said those were caused by rockets and bombs in the Gadigrah, Tawi and Akhnoor areas of the city. A bomb also exploded in Gujjar Nagar.

Governor Girish Chandra Saxena unfurled the national flag at the Jammu stadium, they added.

The Bakshi stadium in Srinagar, the main venue for the Republic Day celebrations there, witnessed no untoward incident. By Tuesday midnight paramilitary troops and commandos had sealed all routes leading to it. Soldiers with automatic weapons patrolled the city all through the night, enforcing strict security restrictions.

Wednesday morning saw an undeclared curfew in place. No one was allowed to move in the city centre. Police and paramilitary jeeps fitted with light machine guns patrolled the area near the stadium where State Public Works Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar unfurled the tri-colour. He was escorted to the venue from his residence by scores of soldiers.

Addressing the security personnel in the stadium -- there were no civilians at the venue -- Sagar appealed that the Centre should restore autonomy and grant financial assistance to the state as quickly as possible.

"The neighbouring enemy country will not succeeed in its nefarious designs," he said. "Militancy has brought only miseries to the people of the state."

Normal life in the valley, meanwhile, remained thoroughly crippled thanks to a boycott call by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report