Rajouri curfew lifted

Curfew was lifted in Rajouri town of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday as the situation improved. Dialogue to restore calm in the troubled area is on.

“We have lifted the curfew from 0800 hrs in the border town," a police officer said.

“No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the district so far and the situation is under control,” he said. Authorities had also relaxed curfew for eight hours on Monday.

Leaders of the two communities met in the presence of ministers Surjeet Salathia and Shabir Khan and senior police and civil officials. Several meetings with leaders of both the communities were held to resolve the matter. The religious heads also made appeals to the people to maintain calm.

Curfew was imposed on the town last Thursday after some unidentified persons pelted stones at a religious procession and security personnel had to burst tear gas shells to disperse them. They were protesting against VHP International president Praveen Togadia's recent remarks.