SRINAGAR: Over 40 people were wounded in post-Friday prayer clashes between police and protesters in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital where separatists had asked people to march to Baramulla town.
Mobs gathered at Nowhatta, Gojiwara, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara and some other localities of Old City after Friday prayers, resorting to heavy stone pelting at contingents of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who had been deployed to thwart the day’s separatist march.
Police had to use batons and tear gas as the protesters kept on re-grouping in the lanes and by-lanes of the densely populated areas. The entire Baramulla district and the highway linking it with Srinagar were sealed off early yesterday morning as the authorities banned the assembly of five or more persons in the area.
The jailed hard-line separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had called for Baramulla march yesterday to protest against the rape and murder of 17-year-old Asiya Jan and her 22-year-old pregnant sister-in-law Neelofar Jan in south Kashmir Shopian town on May 30.
Geelani has also called for a shutdown today against the Shopian incident and the visit of Vice President Hamid Ansari for the Kashmir University (KU) annual convocation. The convocation has also run into controversy as the KU students have called for a boycott of the event today.
The clashes erupted in parts of old city after the Friday prayers, prompting the security forces to use tear gas and batons. The clashes after hundreds of youths shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans took to streets in the old city.
The police used batons and tear gas to disperse the violent stone-pelting youths who continued to regroup and engage the security forces in clashes.
The journalists alleged they were severely beaten up by the security forces while covering the clashes. A photojournalist identified as Shafat Ahmed of ANI was seriously wounded after being hit by a tear smoke shell.
Baramulla, Sopore and Pattan towns falling in Baramulla district, were sealed by the security forces to prevent yesterday’s separatist march. No movement was allowed in these towns and on the Srinagar-Baramulla Highway yesterday.
The Shopian town where the two women were raped and murdered continued to remain shut for the 20th consecutive day.
A related incident yesterday, wherein a militant was killed and two others wounded while fabricating two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which top police sources here admit was meant to carry out explosions today, has forced the administration to mount fool proof security for the event.
