Angry Jammu grills Farooq, Advani

As Advani, along with Governor G C Saxena and the CM, arrived at the massacre site, he was faced with angry questions. While Army officials, led by Maj Gen Pandey, were briefing Advani inside a PCO, the angry residents shouted ‘‘Advani bahaar aao, Farooq ko bhi bahar lao. Satayis lashen jalai hain humne. Bahar aa ke humse baat karo’’. (Come outside and talk to us, we have cremated 27 bodies)

As Advani emerged, some people shouted ‘‘Farooq ka saath chor do. Farooq hi is saab ke liye zimmedar hain,’’ (Give up Farooq’s company, he is the one to be blamed for all this).

Advani was virtually gheraoed by the residents who asked him to impose Governor’s Rule in the state. The security personnel had a tough time in controlling the crowd and Advani was whisked away to his car which left immediately.

Later, at the Raj Bhavan, he was silent on Pakistan’s role, saying ‘‘it is terrorism in its naked form’’.

‘‘After the international pressure, Pakistan has made certain announcements (regarding cross-border terrorism) and we are waiting for the implementation of these announcements at the ground level,’’ he told reporters.

The Deputy Prime Minister visited the injured at the Government Medical Hospital and enquired about their health.

Earlier, the hostile crowds had made Union Minister of State for External Affairs and the new National Conference chief Omar Abdullah their target. Near the massacre site in the slum area of Rajiv Nagar and at the Government Medical College Hospital, he had to face angry crowds. He was nearly manhandled at the hospital premises but was protected by the police as he visited the slums.

Referring to the demonstrators, he was heard saying: ‘‘Aap to yahan bhi rajniti kar rahe ho. (You are playing politics even on this occasion).’’ The policemen then escorted Saxena and Omar to a shop in the locality where a Army officer briefed them. Saxena assured the slum-dwellers that they would be given protection locality and asked the DGP to take the necessary steps.

Saturday’s attack did not come as a surprise to many. And they feel the state government is partly to blame for the spurt in militant activities in the area. Many in the administration attribute the rise in violence to the illegal settlement of ‘‘strangers’’ in large numbers on the outskirts of Jammu city during the last few years. However, the state government has all along turned a blind eye to unauthorised settlements.

Sources added that militants had been waiting for the right opportunity to launch a strike. Police stations last month were put on high alert following a message from the police control room that eight fidayeens owing allegiance to the Al Qaeda and Jaish-e-Mohammad have sneaked into Jammu to do something ‘‘big’’ on or before July 6. But July 6 passed off peacefully.

A few days later, another alert was sounded in the city asking police to keep a watch on madaris (street magicians) after an arrested LeT militant disclosed that some militants under the guise of magicians have entered the city from across the border.

An eyewitness to yesterday’s attack, Manohar Lal, whose uncle died in the attack, said he was in his jhuggi when he heard a deafening sound. As he came out to see what was happening, he saw militants disguised as sadhus spraying bullets on civilians.

Other eyewitnesses told the The Indian Express that police reached the place late. After militants had exploded the first grenade, a police jeep and three unarmed cops came to the area but only to rush back on seeing the militants. Had the reinforcements arrived on time, the militants would not have been able to escape, they added. When the police came, militants melted into the Raika forests. The area is being combed by Army and police.