Jammu clashes: MoS in PMO Jitendra Singh briefs home min on situation

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh today briefed Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the situation in Jammu where protests are going on over the removal of posters of slain Khalistan militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said the Home Minister has offered all possible support to the Jammu and Kashmir government for dealing with the situation.

"Rajnath Singh has also spoken with J-K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and offered him sufficient number of armed forces personnel in case the need arises. I hope the situation will be brought under control very soon," Jitendra Singh told here after the meeting, which was also attended by Home Secretary LC Goyal.

Jitendra Singh, a senior BJP leader from Jammu, is the Lok Sabha MP from the state's Udhampur constituency.

"There has been an unfortunate incident in Jammu resulting in clashes that have also led to a casualty, which is, of course, a matter of great concern," he said.

A large number of Sikh youths have taken to streets in Jammu for the third day today as protests spread over removal of posters of Bhindranwale, a day after a youth was killed and seven injured in clashes with police over the row.

Authorities have clamped Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which bars gathering of more than four persons at a place, in the entire Jammu district and a curfew- like situation prevailed in the violence-hit areas of Satwari- Ranibagh-Gadigarh-RS Pura belt and elsewhere.