File photo: Protesters clash with police in Kishtwar

BJP leaders led by Arun Jaitley will today visit Kistwar areas affected by communal clashes to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.Jaitley, who is Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, will be accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Avinash Rai Khanna and state BJP President Jugal Kishore during his visit to Kishtwar area of Jammu, which has been under curfew ever since the outbreak of clashes between two communities.Taking the recent clashes seriously, the opposition party wants the situation to be brought back to normal soon.The BJP fears that such clashes may lead to the repetition of the earlier situation that led to migration of members of a particular community from the state.The BJP leaders will meet the locals there and take an on-the-spot assessment of tha situation there.BJP President Rajnath Singh had spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday and demanded early normalisation of the situation in the affected areas. The PM had assured him on the issue and told him that Army had been called.Jaitley had also talked to Finance Minister P Chidambaram and the Home Secretary over the situation.Meanwhile, three persons were injured in an incident of firing in communal clashes in curfew-bound Kishtwar district which witnessed stray incidents of stone pelting while another seven persons including a senior police officer sustained wounds in clashes, canecharge and teargas shelling in Jammu city.

Protests were held in Jammu and adjoining districts of region, which observed bandh in protest against the communal clashes in Kishtwar district.Army troops patrolled the streets of the violence-hit district while the local administration advised people to remain indoors and not to violate prohibitory orders.