Even though the countrywide blockade of roads and railway tracks enforced by the VHP over the Amarnath land row on Wednesday did not cause any particularly violent eruptions, a man did end up losing his life as a result of it.

Supported by the BJP, VHP workers had blocked the Chandigarh-Hissar national highway at Aggarsain Chowk in Ambala City and Tangri bridge in Ambala Cantonment. Since traffic was stalled in the cantonment area, a septuagenarian, Genda Ram, who had suffered a heart attack, could not get medical help on time. As he was being rushed in a three-wheeler to a nearby nursing home, the vehicle was stopped by protestors. Although an agitator did give him assistance in reaching medical facilities, Genda Ram died as a result of the delay.

Meanwhile, in Ambala city a few agitators were injured after a scuffle with the police at Aggarsain Chowk. The blockade continued for two hours from 9 to11 am here.

In other parts of the country, the blockades passed without incident, although around 150 VHP, BJP and Hindu Ekta Andolan activists were arrested in Nashik, while thousands were detained in Tamil Nadu. BJP Tamil Nadu unit president L Ganesan and VHP leader R B V S Manian were among those arrested in Chennai. Road traffic was also disrupted in the crowded Mandvi and Race Course areas of Vadodara as well, and at least 55 workers, 12 of them women, were taken into custody by the police, spokesman of the local VHP unit Ajay Joshi said. Parts of Orissa, Jharkhand and Puducherry also reported similar disturbances.