An ongoing protest against a proposed ropeway project leading to the Vaishno Devi shrine turned violent on Monday when a stone-pelting mob attacked police and CRPF personnel at Katra in Jammu’s Reasi district.

Locals claim the project would rob them of theirlivelihood.

The protest was called off after the district administration promised to address the concerns.

Videos showed policemen led by station house officer Chaman Gorkha narrowly escaping the mob fury as dozens of protesters rained stones on them. The police, some of whom sustained injuries, refrained from using force against the protesters.

Scenes of rampaging mobs attacking forces were common in the Valley before 2019 but the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s iron fist has largely helped it curb such incidents.

Following the mob fury, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha promised to addressthe protesters’ concerns but said there would be no compromise with development projects creating “ample employment opportunities for the people”.

The protests were sparked by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’s decision to go ahead with the ₹250-crore ropeway project connecting Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat.

Officials said the 2.4km ropeway would help pilgrims cover the distance in six minutes.

However, locals fear the project would bypass the traditional route and render them jobless, hitting businesses of shopkeepers, pony service providers and labourers.

Reasi senior superintendent of police Paramvir Singh said the protests were peaceful during the past three days but turned violent on Monday.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of people had taken out a march where slogans on Vaishno Devi and Bharat Mata were raised. The protest march was led by Mazdoor Union president Bhupinder Singh Jamwal. It started from Shalimar Park, passed through Main Bazaar and stopped at Shridhar Chowk, locals said.

The immediate trigger for the violence was a CRPF vehicle that attempted to pass through the town while the protesters were holding a dharna. The mob hurled stones at the vehicle and smashed its windscreen.

The policemen tried to calm the protesters but were forced to beat a hasty retreat by a violent mob. A large contingent of police and CRPF personnel was rushed to the area to restore order.

Jamwal said they had resisted the implementation of the ropeway project for years but the board decided to start the work unilaterally without addressing their concerns.

The labourers favour a proper rehabilitation scheme in case the administration wants to go ahead with the project.

Reasi deputy commissioner Vishesh Mahajan held talks with the protest leaders on the spot and addressed the gathering, assuring them of an amicable solution acceptable to all sides. He sought time till December 15 to solve the issue.

The Vaishno Devi temple sees an annual footfall of over 80 lakh pilgrims.

The shrine board had recently said that the ropeway project would be a game changer, “especially for those pilgrims who find it challenging to undertake the 13km steep trek to the shrine”.