At least 50 persons were injured on Sunday morning as clashes erupted after an unruly mob torched the district magistrate’s (DM) office in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
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“When we tried to take out the rally, the forces fired pellets to foil it”, said a local.
Witnesses said that agitated protesters caused damage to the house of a police man (SPO Javaid Shan) at Zonglipora after a rumour about the death of a youth spread in the area.
Two local photojournalists were injured in Srinagar’s Rainawari area when the forces fired pellets to disperse a protest rally.
He said the security forces used baton charge and tear- gas shelling to disperse the protestors. Reports said that some people sustained injuries and were rushed to a Srinagar hospital.
Meanwhile, people from Kupwara said that all cell phones networks have been snapped.
The building owned by SMC according to the employees was attacked with stones from everywhere and all the windowpanes were smashed by the “unbridled” Central Reserve Police Force personnel.
In the Bulbul Nowgam, Achabal people also said that forces during nocturnal raids damaged the electricity transformers. Twenty two seriously injured have been referred to Srinagar from District Hospital Shopian for specialised treatment.
“Several protesters were injured in the forces’ action”. They also arrested many people from the area.
Jama’at-e-Islami J&K Leader, Shaikh Muhammad Hassan, addressing the Zangalpora pro-freedom rally on Monday. Police sealed all the roads leadings towards Khanpora Budgam and stopped people from proceeding towards the venue. Condition of three of the injured persons is stated to be critical. Reports said that authorities imposed strict restrictions in Khanpora and its adjacent areas. “Some of the miscreants, when chased, entered a Ziyarat (shrine) and again started pelting stones from the compound of the Ziyarat”, the spokesman said, adding police “cautiously” handled the situation.
Reports reaching here said that a pro-freedom rally is scheduled to be held in Lalpora area of Lolab.
A rally was also foiled in Drubgam village of Pulwama in which at least 12 people were injured. Play freedom songs and hold protests along the road and wherever the members of the delegation go, receive them with slogans “Go India, Go Back” and “We want Freedom”, the spokesman said.
At least 70 civilians have been killed and thousands injured, mostly by government forces firing bullets and shotguns at rock-throwing protesters.
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Pertinently, protest and freedom rallies of various sects – Deobandis, Barelvis, Jamiat-I-Ahlihadith and Jamat-I-Islami – under the banner of Itihad-I-Milat have become a norm in south Kashmir villages during the ongoing unrest triggered by the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
