This Article is From May 26, 2009

Thousands stranded in violence-hit Punjab

Thousands stranded in violence-hit Punjab
Chandigarh:

Thousands of people who were travelling by train and road are now stranded in different parts of Punjab. Buses and other vehicles, including taxis and private cars, were forced to stop enroute to their destinations.

Over 20 trains have been either halted or cancelled altogether. The move comes as protestors on Monday set Jammu-Kanyakumari train on fire near Ludhiana.

With curfew still on in four major cities, train and road traffic is badly affected. Northern Railways has set up helplines and made arrangements for the stranded passengers to stay. Among the stranded passengers are Amarnath shrine pilgrims at the Jammu Railway station.

Meanwhile, Punjab continues to remain tense. The followers of Dera Sachh Khand sect comprising Dalits and Sikhs turned violent after their leader was shot at and another priest killed in a gurudwara in Vienna.

The cities of Jallandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana  and Phagwara remain under curfew.

Jallandar, which saw some of the worst violence, is calm on Tuesday. There were no reports of any overnight violence in the city or anywhere else in the state. Curfew has been relaxed for a few hours, but the entire city has been placed under a security blanket.

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