Around 36 people have been killed and 3,100 wounded, majority by police fire, in the worst outbreak of violence in six years in the disputed territory also claimed by India’s arch rival Pakistan.
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More than 40 people died and around 1500 injured in a spate of violence in Kashmir triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhaan Wani on July 8, which sparked protests across the Valley.
He said that by doing so India and its stooges wanted to suppress people’s voices and news about the India’s oppression in Kashmir and it also showed that how much India and its stooges were afraid of the popular freedom struggle in Kashmir.
Singh, as well as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, blamed Pakistan for the situation in Kashmir, and said Islamabad has never reconciled to Jammu and Kashmir being part of India.
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Sunday said the government was taking various measures to restore peace in the Valley.
He said the decision to continue the curfew was taken after one person was killed in fresh violence in Kupwara district on Saturday.
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders, the official said. Last week, the Centre had sent 2,800 CRPF personnel to the state.
Customers are not able to make calls to any phone outside their district.
While mobile telephony, except BSNL mobiles, is suspended across Kashmir for the past eight days, the broadband internet services have been curtailed across the Valley. “This is one of the ways to contain the mayhem”, a senior local government official said on condition of anonymity. However, government sources said the step has been taken to contain the violent protests.
Replying to the debate, Home Minister Rajnath Singh affirmed that while militancy will be dealt with sternly, there should be “no instant” use of bullets while dealing with mobs which should first be tackled by the use of teargas and water cannons.
Cell phone services have been blocked and mobile internet in Jammu and Kashmir remains suspended.
Authorities prevented newspapers from hitting the stands on Saturday as some media houses claimed that police raided their printing presses last night and seized the material while cable TV services were also affected in most parts of the Valley.
Meanwhile, the state government extended summer vacations in schools and colleges for a week till July 24, in view of the volatile situation.
Separatist leaders on Friday evening called for a 72 hour strike and protests against the killings of civilians.
At least 45 people, including 43 civilian protesters and two policemen, have been killed in the spiralling violence that began in the Valley after Wani’s death on on July 7.
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While speaking at a solidarity rally in Muzaffarabad, they urged Pakistan to take up Indian atrocities, extra-judicial actions and target killings in the Kashmir Valley at global forums and “expose India’s real face to the world”.
