Simmering discontent among the people of Jammu region finally spilled on to the streets on the second day of the three-day-long Jammu bandh call after police targeted the chairman of the AIIMS coordination committee and beat him up while he was taking out a peaceful protest march in old city area of Jammu on Saturday.
After brutal attack and excessive use of force, members of the AIIMS coordination committee spread to several parts of Jammu city in small groups raising anti-Government slogans. To prevent large assembly of people during the day, the district administration hurriedly imposed Section 144 within Jammu Municipal areas restricting the gathering of more than four people before launching a crackdown.
The State BJP office, located in Kacchi Chowni area, was virtually thrown out of bounds with heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces.
Police action also caused hardships to patients admitted in the Government hospital in Gandhi Nagar as several tear gas shells landed inside the hospital premises.
Meanwhile, the BJP-PDP alliance Government and the State Police force came in for sharp criticism from all quarters for using brutal force on peaceful assembly of people moving in a procession towards old city area of Jammu near Jewel Chowk area.
Chairman of the AIIMS coordination committee Abhinav Sharma along with his supporters were roughed up for raising anti-Govt slogans and demanding setting up of AIIMS in Jammu.
Meanwhile, reacting to the high handedness of the State police Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu condemned the barbaric attack on members of the AIIMS coordination committee. They also decided to abstain from work in the courts till August 8, 2015.