Srinagar: The unrest in Kashmir is now spreading to Jammu with the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti turning the clashes between the protestors and security forces into a protestors versus Amarnath yatris debate.
The Samiti has called for a bandh in Jammu on Saturday against what it calls attacks on "civilians, media and security forces" by the protestors in Kashmir.
The bandh call, however, is not supported by the Chamber of Commerce and the transport association. The Samiti, which led protests in 2008 over the Amarnath land row, has also said that the government has failed to handle the current situation and was supporting those inciting violence.
The Amarnath Yatra enters its fourth day on Saturday and hundreds of yatris are trekking to the cave shrine under tight security.
Meanwhile, the separatists have called for a protest march in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday after 12 people, including three policemen, were injured in fresh clashes on Friday.
Authorities have put entire Srinagar district under curfew ahead of a Saturday's march. Curfew will continue in Anantnag, Mattan, Pulwama, Kakpora, Koimoh, Sopore and Baramulla while there are severe restrictions across the Valley.
Country's youngest Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said only the Centre can resolve the Kashmir crisis.
"The situation is far from normal, but it's better now. Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti is fishing in troubled waters. But the civil society has rejected their bandh call. Please send one of your teams to Pahalgam and Baltal and see if the yatris feel harassed or not," Omar told CNN-IBN.
"The challenge that we face is to gradually lift curfew from tense areas. Centre has to find a solution through meaningful talks. It takes two hands to clap. Separatists need to respond and Indian Government needs to take the dialogue to a meaningful place," he added.
However, Opposition People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti slammed the Chief Minister for failing to handle the crisis.
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