Educational institutions closed in Jammu

JAMMU - After deporting three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to Punjab, the Omar Abdullah government Tuesday announced closure of all educational institutions in Jammu as a precaution to prevent trouble in the city and other parts of the region.

The government announced closure of all schools, colleges and universities as official agencies apprehended trouble after the deportation of Arun Jaitley, Sushma Sawraj and Ananth Kumar Monday night from Jammu airport to Madhopur in Punjab to thwart their flag-hoisting plans in Srinagar on Republic Day Wednesday.

The action of the government has fuelled tensions in Jammu, where it is felt that the government has acted under “pressure from separatists”. The BJP, too, had started mobilising its workers to stage protests.

A government spokesman said that in view of the Republic Day arrangements, all the educational institutions, including the University of Jammu and colleges, would remain closed Wednesday.

The managements of the institutions, including the private ones, have been directed to strictly adhere to the directive, he added.

But the sources revealed that the real intention of the government was to prevent the students from holding protests against its steps of stopping the flag hoisting in Srinagar.

The government has also instructed that the tricolour should not be allowed to be hoisted by the BJP at any place in the state.